Top 20 Highest-Earning Players in World Football 2004
Submitted by JSB on Thu, 29/12/2005 - 00:00
Source: France Football magazine. The figures presented are based on estimates of salary plus commercial earnings. In 2004, Frank Lampard was ranked the highest paid player by wages alone (at £5.17 million per season) although he only ranked sixth when commercial earnings were added. Marketing machine David Beckham headed the list with significant earnings from image rights and lucrative sponsorship deals with the likes of Adidas, Vodaphone, Brylcreem and Diesel.
Stats Table:
| Player | Earnings (£million) | Club (in 2004) |
|---|---|---|
| David Beckham | 19.8 | Real Madrid |
| Ronaldo | 13.4 | Real Madrid |
| Zinedine Zidane | 8.9 | Real Madrid |
| Christian Vieri | 8.2 | Internazionale |
| Alessandro del Piero | 6.5 | Juventus |
| Frank Lampard | 6.4 | Chelsea |
| Raul | 6.3 | Real Madrid |
| Thierry Henry | 6.3 | Arsenal |
| John Terry | 5.9 | Chelsea |
| Luis Figo | 5.8 | Real Madrid |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | 5.8 | Manchester Utd |
| Ronaldinho | 5.6 | Barcelona |
| Oliver Kahn | 5.5 | Bayern Munich |
| Roy Keane | 5.4 | Manchester Utd |
| Patrick Vieira | 5.3 | Arsenal |
| Michael Owen | 5.1 | Real Madrid |
| Francesco Totti | 5.1 | AS Roma |
| Sol Campbell | 5.0 | Arsenal |
| Michael Ballack | 4.7 | Bayern Munich |
| Rio Ferdinand | 4.4 | Manchester Utd |
