Top 10 highest earning footballers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on top

The pair have had a long-standing rivalry at the top of the world game, and they are also doing battle for the crown of the highest earning player on the planet in 2020.
Cristiano Ronaldo has pipped Lionel Messi to the crown of the highest earning footballer in the world in a new list revealed by Forbes.

A combination of his wages and prize money for playing on the pitch and endorsements off it sees Ronaldo's earnings reach a staggering £85.8million in 2020, ensuring that he is behind only Roger Federer when it comes to the world's highest earning sports stars.
Messi is third on that list but second when it comes to footballers, with his fortune of £83.4million slightly reduced by Barcelona's decision to cut their squad's wages amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Next on the list is Neymar in third with a cool £76.6million, with the Brazilian earning some £20million when it comes to his endorsement deals.
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah is next on the list to make him to the highest-earning Premier League player, but the Egyptian's reserves are dwarfed by the top three.  

Salah is raking in £28.2million this calendar year, but is said to be in line for even more in endorsement deals when Liverpool are finally able to get their hands on the Premier League trophy.

The top 10 highest paid footballers in 2020 (Forbes)

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) - £85.8m
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - £83.4m
3. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) - £76.6m
4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - £28.2m
5. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) - £27.1m
6. Andres Iniesta (Vissel Kobe) - £23.7m
7. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) - £23m
8. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) - £22.8m
9. Oscar (Shanghai SIPG) - £22m
10. Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona) - £21.4m