According to a report by Forbes, Messi will surpass the $1 billion (R16 billion) mark for career earnings by the end of the 2020/21 season, making him only the second footballer, and fourth athlete overall, to achieve the financial milestone during their playing career.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) – $105m / R17.7b
10. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) – $26.7m / R450m
9. Oscar (Shanghai Shenhua) – $27.5m / R464m
8. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) – $28.5m / R480m
7. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) – $28.7m / R484m
6. Andres Iniesta (Vissel Kobe) – $29.6m / R499m
5. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) – $33.8m / R570m
4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – $35.1m / R592m
3. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) – $95.5m / R16.1b
2. Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona) – $104m / R17.5b