Cristiano Ronaldo was recently overtaken by two stars pocketing massive money in China, so we had a look at football's biggest earners in history – and there is one African in the top 10.
Click through the gallery to see the 10 highest players in football history.
Carlos Tevez became the world's highest paid player after joining Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua, where he will reportedly earn a whopping €40 million (R572 million) a year, according to Gazzetta dello Sport writer Tancredi Palmeri.
With his salary, which almost twice as much as Ronaldo's current income, the 32-year-old Argentine became the highest paid player in history.
Tevez replaced David Beckham's previous world record deal – the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star pocketed €30 million (R429 million) a year during his time at Paris Saint-Germain.
Brazilian midfielder Oscar is another player who followed the big-money route to China, and now apparently pockets €24 million (R343 million) annually, becoming football's third highest paid player in history.
Ronaldo sits with €21 million (R300million) in fourth following his latest contract renewal at Los Blancos, while Samuel Eto'o is also on the list after pocketing €20 million (R286 million) yearly during his time at Anzhi Makhachkala, when the Cameroon star was the highest paid player in the game.
Lionel Messi, who is yet to extend his in current contract at Barca, which is set to expire in 2018, earns as much as Eto'o did back in 2011, while Hulk also joined his salary bracket following his move to Shanghai SIPG.
Neymar's basic annual salary reportedly sits at €19 million (R272 million) after his latest contract renewal, while Axel Witsel also joined the top 10 earners, receiving €18 million (R257 million) a year with Tianjin Quanjian.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the 10th highest earner in football history, having earned €17 million (R243 million) a year during his time with PSG.
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Note: All figures are basic annual salaries after deductions, but excluding bonus payments and endorsements.
Do you think all these players deserved their massive salaries? Have your say in the comments section below.
