25,000 euros a minute Messi zooms past Ronaldo as top earner

Lionel Messi has overtaken Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest earner in world football while Jose Mourinho tops the managers' chart, according to France Football magazine. The Barcelona attacker is a long way ahead in the figures for the current season, pulling in 126m euros ($154m) in salary, bonuses and commercial revenue while his great Real Madrid rival is making 94m euros. Last season 'CR7' led with 87.5mn euros with Messi on 76.5m euros. That works out at 25,000 euros per minute pitch time this season for Messi in La Liga, the Champions League, the Spanish Cup and Supercup and four international appearances for Argentina this season, and assuming he plays all of Barcelona's five remaining games.

Dans son dossier annuel sur le salaires des stars, France Football annonce que Lionel Messi est le joueur le mieux payé du monde https://t.co/jLy6LlOWdD pic.twitter.com/ISooLY1dUd

— L'ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) April 23, 2018

The two players who have split the last 10 Ballons d'Or are followed by Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian star Neymar on 81.5m euros in the calculations to be published by France Football on Tuesday and released to AFP Monday. There is a big gap to Ronaldo's Real teammate Gareth Bale on 44m euros and Barca defender Gerard Pique on 29m euros. Among coaches, Manchester United's Mourinho remains the biggest earner with 26m euros.

Lionel Messi has overtaken @Cristiano as the highest earner in world footballhttps://t.co/FinjAKFk4y

— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 23, 2018

Next comes China boss Marcello Lippi on 23m euros, follwoed by Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, who has won the last two Champions League titles at Real and Pep Guardiola, who has just led Manchester City to the English Premier League.Top 5 player earners (gross wages, bonuses and commercial revenue in the 2017-2018 season):

1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 126m euros
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real): 94m euros
3. Neymar (PSG): 81.5m euros
4. Gareth Bale (Real): 44m euros
5. Gerard Pique (Barcelona): 29m euros

Top 5 coaches (gross wages, bonuses and commercial revenue in the 2017-2018 season):

1. Jose Mourinho (Man United): 26m euros,
2. Marcello Lippi (China): 23m euros,
3. Diego Simeone (Atletico): 22m euros,
4. Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid): 21m euros,
5. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City): 20m euros