(Getty)
With all of the magic Lionel Messi has produced on the pitch, it seems like he could never be paid enough.
Even if that’s the case, the 27-year-old Argentine and Barcelona superstar is doing pretty well for himself.
According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Messi has a net worth of approximately $180 million, which puts him second among active soccer players behind only Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
And that number is only going to continue to skyrocket. On a yearly basis, Messi is estimated by Forbes to have made $64.7 million in 2014. In other more fun terms, he pulled in about $177,260 per day, $7,385 per hour, $123 per minute or $2.05 per second. The only athletes who made more in 2014 were Floyd Mayweather, Ronaldo and LeBron James.
Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo battle for a lot of things, including the distinction of highest-paid soccer player. (Getty)
And that might even be a low estimate. An annual survey by France Football, via The Mirror‘s Neil Mcleman, suggests Messi made £47.8 million ($73 million), which puts him ahead of Ronaldo at £39.7 million ($60.6 million).
Messi has money coming in from several avenues. He signed a new contract with Barcelona in 2014 that reportedly pays him somewhere in vicinity of $50 million per year. Forbes listed his salary in 2014 as $41.7 million, while CelebrityNetWorth.com put it at $44.68 million. Either way, it’s a lot. Messi also has major sponsorships with Adidas, Turkish Airlines, PepsiCo, Gillette and Electronic Arts, among others, that pull in an extra $20 to $30 million per year.
The dazzling forward’s worth is unquantifiable on the field. He has won four Ballon d’Or awards. He has helped Barcelona to six La Liga titles and three Champions League titles. He has scored nearly 300 league goals and another 77 in Champions League play. He has done things previously thought not possible by humans.
And he’s getting paid like it.
