Lionel Messi has beaten Cristiano Ronaldo into top spot as the best-paid athlete over the past yearBarcelona star Messi has raked in an astronomical €127million (£99.8m) in the past year, making him the best-paid athlete in the world. The Argentine helped Barcelona secure the La Liga title but experienced disappointment as his side lost to Valencia and Liverpool in the Copa del Rey and the Champions League respectively during an inconsistent season. Messi huge wages and extensive sponsorship deals have seen him earn nearly £15m more than his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Juventus from Real Madrid last summer. According to the Forbes rankings, Ronaldo earned $109m (£85.6m) which puts him slightly ahead of Brazilian superstar Neymar who totted up $105m (£82.5m).

Source: Express June 12, 2019 06:01 UTC