article_snippet: Lionel Messi is the highest-paid footballer on the planet, banking nearly £1million a week last year in wages and sponsorship deals.
article_snippet: The Argentina and Barcelona favourite earned an eye-watering £47.8m in 2014, with Lionel Messi club salary of £26m topped up by lucrative endorsements with the likes of adidas, FIFA 15 and Turkish Airlines.
article_snippet: It puts Lionel Messi well ahead of Lionel Messi Real Madrid and Portugal nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo, who brought in £39.7m, according to the latest France Football magazine rich list.
article_snippet: Lionel Messi tops the France Football rich list for 2014 with an annual income of £47.8m .
article_snippet: Lionel Messi tops up Lionel Messi salary with Barcelona by promoting various companies, including adidas .
article_snippet: Cristiano Ronaldo comes in second in the annual France Football list with earnings of £39.7m .
article_snippet: Messi's Barcelona colleague Neymar comes in third on £26.8m, Messi's Barcelona colleague Neymar total underlining the gulf between the world's two leading players and the rest.
article_snippet: This consists of an £11.8m basic salary, topped up by £5m bonuses and £2m from various sponsorship deals.
article_snippet: Real Madrid's world-record signing Gareth Bale comes in sixth with an annual income of £17.5m, followed by United and England captain Wayne Rooney on £16.5m.
article_snippet: Messi's Barcelona colleague Neymar (right) comes third in the rankings with £26.8m earned in 2014 .
article_snippet: Gareth Bale may be the world's most expensive player but Gareth Bale ranks only sixth on the list .
article_snippet: Manchester United United and England England captain Wayne Rooney earned £16.5m, according to the rich list ranking .
article_snippet: Chelsea's Eden Hazard and Manchester City's Yaya Toure both made £14.7m, while Manchester United duo Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao are jointly on £13.6m.
article_snippet: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger (£8.3m) and Manchester United's Louis van Gaal (£7.3m) also feature in the top five.
highlights_snippet: Lionel Messi tops the France Football rich list with 2014 income of £47.8m .
  
highlights_snippet: Lionel Messi Barcelona club salary of £26m is topped up by sponsorship deals .
  
highlights_snippet: Cristiano Ronaldo comes in second with annual earnings of £39.7m .
  
highlights_snippet: Those two come well ahead of third-placed Neymar on £26.8m .
  