2. Lionel Messi – Net Worth: ($218 million)

‘’The football messiah’’ Lionel Messi is arguably the best football player on the planet. Talk about Maradona or Pele and the name Messi will just come naturally. The 29-year-old Argentine captain of the national side, is yet to win a trophy for the country (apart from the Olympic gold in Bejing, 2008), the only blemish in an otherwise perfect career. He is a graduate of the FC Barcelona Football Academy and has been playing for FC Barcelona ever since. He is a five-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner, the only player in history to win five. His trophy collection includes six La Ligas, two Spanish Super Cups, two Club World cup trophies and two UEFA Super Cups. Messi has earned 40 million EUR in 2016 alone.