Since 2007, when Kaka won the award, only Luka Modric and Karim Benzema have won the Ballon d'Or aside from Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, highlighting their dominance over the past 15 years. But neither man features in Neymar 's top four as the Brazilian selected an eventual winner and a pair he feels will come joint-second.

A Saudi payday may be harder to come by these days, but the Kingdom still boasts four of the 10 top-earning footballers, including a record-setting Cristiano Ronaldo.

For the sixth time in the last ten years Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's highest earning footballer in 2024

CRISTIANO Ronaldo is approaching 40 – but he keeps breaking records both on and off the field. The Portuguese superstar has earned more cash than any other footballer on the planet over the

The unprecedented figure was revealed as part of Forbes' annual report on the world's 10 highest-paid players. The list lays bare the dramatic surge in sports stars' earnings in the last decade.