Beckham Dethroned As Top Earner in Soccer

Lionel Messi scored his second hat-trick in a row in Barcelona's 4-2 win over Zaragoza on Sunday. The little Argentine's sensational form has drawn comparisons to the world's greatest player with many arguing that he in fact is the greatest player to ever grace the beautiful game. 

So it isn't very surprising that he has replaced David Beckham as the best-paid footballer in the world according to France Football magazine's annual "rich list". The Argentinian forward is said to have made £29.6m in salary, bonuses and sponsorships last year, making him the fourth highest paid athlete in the world behind Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and LeBron James.

Messi - who helped Barcelona win the treble last season - was paid a £3.6 million bonus, which helped him dethrone David Beckham, who has held the top spot on the rich list for the last two years. The falling value of the dollar is another factor working in favour of the magnificent Messi. 

Beckham came in at No. 2 with an annual income £27.3 million, followed closely by Messi's predecessor as the World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo, who  raked in £27 million.