Top 10 Highest-Paid Footballers in the World, Lionel Messi to Top the List?

(From L) Brazil and FC Barcelona forward Neymar, Brazil and FC Barcelona defender Dani Alves, Argentina and FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, Spain and FC Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta and Portugal and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo. (Photo credit OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images) /

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Gareth Bale (L) of Real Madrid CF (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) /

#5 Gareth Bale (Real Madrid/Tottenham | Salary: £564k [$783k/€650k]/week)

Gareth Bale might not have been the superstar he was promised to be, however, he is still one of the highest-earning players in the history of the game. The player was too costly to be maintained by Real Madrid alone and Zinedine Zidane’s attitude towards the talent made them send him away on loan to the North London side.

Bale has made 30 appearances this season in all competitions and has managed to score 14 goals while providing three assists. The player earns 564,000 pounds per week and was barely used by Zidane. This was the main reason for his loan move. The player may be aging now and is no longer as good as he used to be; however, he is still one of the top five earners in the world and is only beaten by few other players.

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