10 highest paid footballers in the world in 2015
Forbes released their annual rankings of the world’s highest-paid athletes and there are 15 football players in the top 100. Players like Steven Gerrard, Robin van Persie, Franck Ribery and Fernando Torres have dropped out of the top 100 this year while five other players from the Premier League missed out on the list of 10 richest footballers in the world.
The list is calculated using the annual salary earned by the players and their earnings through endorsements.
Players who missed out on the Top 10
93) Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) - Earnings: $19.3m [Salary - $12.8m, Endorsements – $6.5 M]
90) Eden Hazard (Chelsea) - Earnings: $19.6 [Salary- $16.1m, Endorsements – $3.5 M]
87) Frank Lampard (Man City/New York City) - Earnings: $19.7m [Salary – $15.7m, Endorsements – $4m]
83) Yaya Touré (Manchester City) - Earnings: $20m [Salary – $17m Endorsements –$3m]
79) Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) - Earnings: $20.3m [Salary – $15.3m, Endorsements – $5m]
10) Luis Suarez (#73)
Total Earnings – $21m [Salary: $16.5m, Endorsements: $4.5m]
Luis Suarez had a great debut season at Barcelona scoring 25 goals and setting up another 17 in 37 appearances. The Uruguayan is 73rd in the list moving up from #100 last year. One major reason for the surge could his move to Barcelona this season where he is earning $17 million-a-year. He received a total of $16.5 M as salary and winnings along the $4.5 M he earned through endorsements.
Unlike 888poker who terminated his contract after the infamous biting incident at the World Cup, Adidas stood by him and remains to be one of their major endorsement partners. His current transfer market value is £43.5 Million. He is also regularly featured in Pepsi ads.
9) Sergio Aguero (#45)
Earnings: $24.9m [Salary – $17.9m, Endorsements – $7m]
Though Manchester City did not win any trophies this season, the Argentine striker managed to finish top in the goalscorers chart with 26 goals. Aguero dropped one place down from 44 to 45 in this year’s ranking. He signed a £150,000-a-week contract at the beginning of the season which would extend his stay at Manchester City up to 2019.
His key endorsements include Puma with whom he has a boot deal that is worth £1.25 million a year. Other companies which have sponsorship deals with him include Pepsi, Gillette, Hugo Boss, Sony PlayStation and Samsung.