Beckham earns $45m a year, Woods $117m

PARIS - Real Madrid's David Beckham is the best paid soccer player in the world, according to a survey published in France Football magazine today.

With €25 million ($44.80 million) a year, England captain Beckham tops the table ahead of Real Madrid teammates Ronaldo, who earns €19.6m a year, and Zinedine Zidane, on €13m.

The three each have salaries of €6.4m and collect €200,000 a year in bonuses.

But Beckham, 30, earns an additional €18.4m in advertising contracts, with Ronaldo receiving €13m for his commercial deals and Zidane earning €6.4m for his.

However, Beckham is far behind golf's world No 1 Tiger Woods, who earns €66m ($117m) a year.

Seven-time Formula One motor racing world champion Michael Schumacher is the second highest paid sportsman with €63.5m.

Beckham is sixth behind Woods, Schumacher, American footballer Peyton Manning and basketballers Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan.


Inter Milan striker Christian Vieri is fourth in the soccer standings, earning €12m a year, followed by Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero on €9.5m and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard on €9.4m.

Jose Mourinho, manager of English premier league champions Chelsea, clearly benefits from owner Roman Abramovich's big spending policy, earning €7.5m a year.

Five managers working in England are in the top 10, with Manchester United's Alex Ferguson coming second with €6m a year, ahead of England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson on €5.8m and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger on €4.4m.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is ninth with €2.6m a year.

- REUTERS