Beckham tops football rich list, but Messi and Ronaldo close in

DAVID BECKHAM'S powers may be waning on the field, but off it the 37-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is still the man to beat after being named the world's richest footballer ahead of younger rivals like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

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According to the 2013 Goal.com Rich List, Becks has amassed a personal fortune of £175m over the course of his career which puts him some £60m clear of Messi and Ronaldo in second and third.

The two La Liga stars are said to be worth £115.5m and £112m respectively. But they are both much younger that Beckham and can expect to catch him well before the end of their careers.

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Below the top three there is another large gap separating the rest of the pack. Fourth on the list is the Brazilian Kaka, who has an estimated £66m to his name. Manchester United stars Wayne Rooney (£50m) and Rio Ferdinand (£42m) also make it into the top ten.

The combined wealth of those on the list stands at £1.7bn, enough to buy Manchester United twice over or purchase 6,299 brand new Ferrari F12 Berlinettas.

Half of the players in the top 50 have played in the Premier League, more than any other league, although eight of the top ten have starred in the Spanish La Liga, and a quarter of those on the list have played for Real Madrid.

Goal.com points out that despite his wealth Beckham still falls some way short of the likes of Tiger Woods and Michael Schumacher, who are both worth more than £500m.

"While all on the Goal Rich List are easily considered multi-millionaires, the potential is there for players to earn a great deal more money," explained Goal.com's finance expert Chris Evans.

Players needed to be "savvy", he said. "Beckham has created his own brand, quite literally with his clothing line, but also through his image and ever presence in the media, so even in the twilight of his playing years, his popularity and earnings continue to grow."