Lionel Andrés Messi  里奧內(nèi)爾?安德雷斯?梅西

 Rank 2012:1;Earnings 2011:€33 million

Rank 2011:1;Earnings 2010:€31 million

Date of Birth:Jun. 24, 1987

Country:Argentina

Club:Barcelona

Marital Status:Single (but said to have secretly married his girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo last summer)

Lionel Andrés Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, where he mainly serves as a forward. Dubbed the "New Maradona", Messi is a prodigy in the game though he suffered from a growth hormone deficiency when he was a child. The ace footballer has won a lot of awards, including five La Liga titles and three Champions League titles.

Messi earned a whopping €33 million in 2011, which included €10.5 million in salary, €1.5 million in bonuses and €21 million in commercial endorsements. He was awarded the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or for the third year in a row on Jan. 9, 2012. His major sponsors included Adidas, Pepsi, Konami video games, Tecent QQ, D&G and AirEuropa.