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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →David Beckham topped the reported 2011 soccer-player earnings ranking at $40 million, with Cristiano Ronaldo second at $38 million. Those figures were reported as total earnings—not playing salary alone. Forbes’ broader ranking of all athletes used a different list and placed Beckham sixth overall and Ronaldo seventh.
Who were the highest-paid soccer players in 2011?
A contemporary Yahoo Sports report of Forbes’ soccer-specific ranking, published April 21, 2011, named Beckham the leading earner and Ronaldo the runner-up:
| Soccer-only rank | Player | Reported earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Beckham | $40 million |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | $38 million |
The report describes the figures as earnings. It does not establish a complete soccer-only table, so the available evidence supports these top two places but not ranks or totals for the rest of the players. Yahoo Sports, April 21, 2011
Why do Forbes’ overall athlete ranks look different?
Forbes’ May 31, 2011 feature covered the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes across sports, rather than providing the complete soccer-only ranking. In that broader list, Beckham was No. 6 overall and Ronaldo No. 7. Those positions are not their soccer-only ranks.
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Forbes said its overall-list earnings totals drew on salary, bonuses, prize money, appearance fees, licensing and endorsements over the 12 months ending May 1. The $40 million and $38 million figures should therefore not be read as salaries alone. Forbes, “Full List: The World’s 50 Highest-Paid Athletes,” May 31, 2011
What about Lionel Messi?
Forbes’ broader-list feature reports Messi’s on-pitch earnings at $16 million annually. That is a specifically on-pitch figure, not a verified total earnings figure comparable with Beckham’s $40 million and Ronaldo’s $38 million in the soccer-specific report. The available material does not establish Messi’s place or total in that soccer-only ranking. Forbes
Rank #2
Why did Beckham lead the earnings ranking?
The contemporary report quoted Michael Stirling, CEO of Global Sponsors, describing Beckham as “more analogous to a Hollywood star than a footballer.” The comment offers a perspective on Beckham’s public profile; it is not a Forbes definition of how earnings were calculated. Yahoo Sports, April 21, 2011
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