2. Cristiano Ronaldo

Forbes: The World's Highest-Paid Soccer Players

$38 million

Real Madrid

Ronaldo is Facebook's most popular athlete with 24 million fans, which is part of the attraction for sponsors like Nike, Armani, Coca-Cola and Castrol. (Liewig Christian/Newscom)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

More from this Slideshow

0 of 0

World's Highest-... The best players around the globe continue to pull in deals despite the economic downturn. Forbes' income figures include salaries, bonuses and endorsements earned in 2010. (KRYSTLE WRIGHT/AFP/Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
10. Samuel Eto'o... $15 million

Inter Milan

The Cameroonian striker counts Puma and Ford as sponsors. He has won the African Player of the Year award a record four times. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
8. (tie) Zlatan ... $17 million

AC Milan

Barcelona paid a $94 million transfer fee to Inter Milan in 2009 for the rights to Ibrahimovic, which was the second-highest transfer fee ever. (Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
8. (tie) Frank L... $17 million

Chelsea

Lampard earns $11 million in salary on the pitch. His 135 career goals are the most ever by a Premier League midfielder. (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
7. Wayne Rooney $20 million

Manchester United

Coca-Cola and Rooney recently parted ways, ending a deal that had been worth $1 million annually. Remaining sponsors include Nike and Electronic Arts. (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
6. Thierry Henry $21 million

New York Red Bulls

Henry bought a New York City apartment for $14.9 million after move to MLS last year. His lucrative Gillette partnership wrapped up at the end of 2010. (Abelimages/Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
5. Ronaldinho $24 million

Flamengo

The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year joined Brazilian club Flamengo in January after two seasons with AC Milan. His new deal runs until 2014. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. Ricardo Kaka $25 million

Real Madrid

The Brazilian midi was featured on the cover of EA Sports FIFA Soccer 11. The FIFA franchise has sold 100 million units of the popular soccer game for Electronic Arts. (ANDER GILLENEA/AFP/Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. Lionel Messi $32 million

Barcelona

Messi's status as the world's best player has started to translate into endorsement opportunities. The Flea has deals with Adidas, Lay's, Konami, Audemars Piguet, Chery and AirEuropa. (JOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
2. Cristiano Ron... $38 million

Real Madrid

Ronaldo is Facebook's most popular athlete with 24 million fans, which is part of the attraction for sponsors like Nike, Armani, Coca-Cola and Castrol. (Liewig Christian/Newscom)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
1. David Beckham $40 million

Los Angeles Galaxy

Beckham's endorsement deal with Adidas is the biggest in the sport thanks to royalties from soccer apparel and cleats as well as lifestyle lines like ObyO. (KRYSTLE WRIGHT/AFP/Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams
The Most Popular Sports Mascots

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
The World's Most... To see who leads Forbes' list of the most profitable soccer teams, click here.