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The 10 Richest Soccer Players At The World Cup

Posted June 10, 2014 11:00 pm

Emmett Knowlton

<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/528bbd5aeab8ea9b4e1544b5-1200-900/cristiano-ronaldo-portugal-sweden.jpg" border="0" alt="cristiano ronaldo portugal sweden" />The 2014 World Cup begins Thursday when Brazil takes on Croatia in SÃ£o Paolo. </span>

<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In honor of the summer's best sporting event, </span>Wealth-X<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> determined the 10 richest soccer players that will be lacing up their boots in Brazil. </span>

<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Although the two wealthiest players in the world play in La Liga, six of the 10 players play in the English Premier League.</span>

<h3>#1 Cristiano Ronaldo  $230 million</h3>

National team: Portugal

Club team: Real Madrid

Why he's so rich: Ronaldo earned $44 million last year and will make $23 million per year with Real Madrid until 2018. Off the field, Ronaldo cashes in $21 million per year in endorsements from Nike ($8 million per year), Herbalife, Samsung, Catrol, and others.

Sources: Marca, Forbes

<h3>#2 Lionel Messi  $180 million</h3>

National team: Argentina

Club team: FC Barcelona

Why he's so rich: Messi cashed in $41.3 million last year and just signed a new deal with his club that will guarantee him $27 million a year. He also earns $23 million per year in endorsements and sponsorships with Gillette, Samsung, Gatorade, and Adidas.

Sources: Forbes, Reuters

<h3># 3 Wayne Rooney  $95 million</h3>

National team: England

Club team: Manchester United

Why he's so rich: Rooney recently signed a new contract with Manchester United for $26 million a year. He also earns $4 million a year from deals with Nike, Samsung, and Harper Collins.

Sources: Daily Mail, Forbes

<h3>#4 Didier Drogba  $90 Million</h3>

National team: Ivory Coast

Club team: Galatasary (Turkey)

Why he's so rich: Drogba's bounced around the world, cashing in on mega contracts everywhere he's gone. He's currently making $10 million for an 18-month spell with Turkish club Galatasary, and was previously earning $300,000 per week with Shanghai Shenua. He's best known for his stint with English club Chelsea, who signed him for $24 million in 2004 from Marseille. He also makes around $5 million a year in endorsements from Nike, Pepsi, and Konami.

Sources: Forbes, The Telegraph

<h3>#5 Samuel Eto'o  $75 Million</h3>

National team: Cameroon

Club team: Chelsea

Why he's so rich: Eto'o played last season for Chelsea, who signed him to a one year, $7 million deal. The 33-year-old veteran previously earned $10 million per year with Inter Milan and $13.4 million per year with Russian club FC Anzhi. His endorsements with Ford and Puma earn him $3 million per year.

Sources: Forbes, CNN

<h3>#6 Yaya Toure  $70 million</h3>

National team: Ivory Coast

Club team: Manchester City

Why he's so rich: Toure is one of the most expensive players in the English Premier League, bought by Manchester City from Barcelona for a fee of $24 million. His endorsement deal with Puma also earns him around $2.5 million a year, and in 2013 he signed a contract extension with Manchester City that ups his weekly pay from $200,000 to nearly 240,000 until 2017.

Sources: Forbes, BBC, Telegraph

<h3>#7 Frank Lampard  $60 million</h3>

National team: England

Why he's so rich: Lampard - who just left Chelsea after 13 years - earned $7.8 million yearly since 2008, an increase from the deal he signed when he transferred from West Ham in 2001 for $11 million. The veteran midfielder has been linked to both the LA Galaxy and NYC FC, but is currently without a club team. Still, he earns $3.5 million a year in endorsement deals, including Adidas and Pepsi.

Source: Forbes

<h3>#8 Steven Gerrard  $55 million</h3>

National team: England

Club team: Liverpool

Why he's so rich: The Liverpool captain earns around $4.5 a year both on and off the field. Although he previously earned $7 million a year, in 2012 he renegotiated his contract to guarantee he stay with Liverpool until he retires. Off the field, he has major endorsements from Adidas, Jaguar, Lucozade, and Mars, and published a successful autobiography.

Source: Goal

<h3>#9 Fernando Torres  $50 million</h3>

National team: Spain

Club team: Chelsea

Why he's so rich: Torres joined Chelsea from Liverpool for $80 million in 2011, and earns $17 million a year for the Blues. He also has sponsorships with Nike and Pepsi that bring him $3.5 million a year.

Sources: Forbes, Daily Mail

<h3>#10 Gianluigi Buffon  $50 million</h3>

National team: Italy

Club team: Juventus

Why he's so rich: Buffon transferred from Parma to Juventus for $67 million in 2001, the highest-ever transfer fee for a goalkeeper. He makes $6 million a year for Juve, plus major endorsement deals with Puma, Pepsi, and Fiat.

Sources: Goal, Celebrity Net Worth

<h3>Now Learn How Cristiano Ronaldo Spends All That Money</h3>

<h2>Cristiano Ronaldo: How The World's Highest-Paid Soccer Player Spends His Millions ></h2>

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