Barcelona star Lionel Messi has overtaken David Beckham as the highest earner in world football.
The 22-year-old Argentine forward, who scored a second successive La Liga hat-trick in Barcelona’s 4-2 win over Real Zaragoza on Sunday, has ended Beckham's two-year reign as the world's best-paid footballer, according to France Football.
Messi pockets an estimated £29.6 million annually, closely followed by Beckham at £27.3m, while Real Madrid hotshot Cristiano Ronaldo sits in third place with his estimated earnings having hit the £27m mark.
A £3.6 million bonus earned by Messi for winning the treble last season with Barca took him ahead of the England star, according to the rich list.
Messi was also ranked as the fourth highest-earning sportsperson in the world, behind golfers Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and basketball star LeBron James.
Carlos Tevez takes the title of highest earner in English football, coming in seventh place overall at £13.8m.
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) £29.6m
2. David Beckham (LA Galaxy/Milan) £27.3m
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) £27m
4. ***a (Real Madrid) £16.9m
5. Thierry Henry (Barcelona) £16.1m
6. Ronaldinho (AC Milan) £15.5m
7. Carlos Tevez (Manchester City) £13.8m
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona) £13m
9. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) £12.8m
10. Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan) £12.4m
