Lionel Messi, Jose Mourinho Top List Of Highest Paid Players, Managers

According to France Football magazine, FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi is the world's highest paid football player and Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho is the world's highest paid football manager. Messi will earn €31 million this season in wages and endorsements and Mourinho checks in with €13.5 million for himself.

It's no surprise that Messi is the world's highest paid footballer considering he is the two-time World Player of the Year and plays for arguably the world's most famous and best club. The Argentinean beat out Cristiano Ronaldo for the top spot on the list with the the Real Madrid star raking in €27.5 million. Wayne Rooney is the highest paid of English players and the third highest paid player with a €20.5 million income and despite two LA Liga players claiming the top two spots, English Premier League players led all leagues with seven players in the top 20.

Just like the top two highest paid players came from Barcelona and Real Madrid, so do the top two highest paid managers. Mourinho tops the list, which is to be expected after winning the UEFA Champions League with his second different club a year ago and moving to Madrid, one of the richest clubs in the world. Barcelona's Pep Guardiola is the second highest paid manager with an income of €10.5 million and recently fired Inter Milan manager Rafa Benitez has €10.2 million due to him. England manager Fabio Capello comes in after Benitez with €8.5 million.

For all of the La Liga and English Premier League players and managers on the highest paid lists, two players in Major League Soccer are in the top 11. Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is due to make €19 million this year, fifth most in the world, and New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry checks in at 11th with an income of €13.6 million.