Bengaluru, Sept. 15 -- A thought which has popped into every sports fanatic, who gets paid the highest out of the two legends of the game? Does player performance dictate that or image and impact off the pitch? Let us find out.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are global football icons with massive earnings from both contracts and endorsements. Ronaldo leads with a record salary at Al-Nassr, while Messi's deals with Adidas and Apple keep him among the top earners worldwide.

Current Earnings Ronaldo's estimated total earnings in 2025 (salary + endorsements) : $275 million Messi's estimated total earnings in 2025 (salary + endorsements): $135 million Comparison: Messi vs Ronaldo Ronaldo earns more due to his record salary at Al-Nassr an...