Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Messi tops wealth league ahead of Ronaldo, Neymar

LIONEL MESSI remains the world's richest football player, despite the Argentine maestro being denied a potentially money-spinning move away from Barcelona this month after a contract-dispute.

According to a list compiled by Forbes, Messi's total earnings this year are $126 million -- $92 million from his salary and $34 million in endorsements.


Cristiano Ronaldo comes in second although earnings of $117 million will soften the blow for the Juventus forward, as will his status as the most followed soccer player in the world on social media.

Neymar comes in third on the Forbes list ($96 million) with his Paris St Germain team mate, 21-year-old Kylian Mbappe, up in fourth spot ($42 million).

The Premier League remains the world's richest domestic soccer league but only two of its outfield players feature in the top 10 of the wealth table -- Liverpool's title-winning striker Mohamed Salah in fifth spot ($37 million) and Manchester United's midfielder Paul Pogba ($34 million) in sixth. Pogba's team mate, keeper David de Gea ($27 million) is 10th.

Barcelona's Antoine Griezmann was seventh and Real Madrid's Gareth Bale eighth. Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, the only Bundesliga player, in ninth.

Messi reluctantly agreed to stay at Barcelona for another season this month, despite saying in the wake of an 8-2 Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich that he wanted out.

He argued that a clause in his contract stating that a 700 million euros release fee would need to be met for him to join another club was no longer active and that he could leave on a free transfer -- a situation that would have allowed him to command astronomical wages from the likes of Manchester City.

Messi, 33, is in the final year of his contract so could leave for free next summer. By staying with the Catalan club, Messi is in line for an $83 million loyalty bonus so it is likely he will continue to top the money charts.

More For You

Jameela Jamil: Pixar’s Elio Offers Hope for Youth

Jameela Jamil says Pixar’s Elio brings a fresh message of empowerment for kids across the globe

Getty Images

Jameela Jamil says Pixar’s ‘Elio’ is the hope young people need in a chaotic world

At a time when the world feels chaotic and heavy, Disney Pixar’s Elio arrives with a message that couldn’t be more relevant: kids matter, and they’re stronger than they realise.

The animated film, which had its star-studded premiere in Los Angeles this week, follows an 11-year-old boy who accidentally becomes Earth’s ambassador in outer space. Directed by Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi, Elio is Pixar’s first feature with a Mexican-Dominican lead, voiced by Yonas Kibreab. His character’s journey from an outsider on Earth to a confident connector among aliens mirrors what many young people feel today: lost, overlooked, and searching for belonging.

Keep ReadingShow less
Apple India Reroutes 97% of iPhones to US Amid Tariff Push

Apple iPhones are seen inside India's first Apple retail store in Mumbai, India, April 17, 2023.

REUTERS

Foxconn sends 97 per cent of India iPhone exports to US amid tariff push

NEARLY all iPhones exported by Foxconn from India between March and May were shipped to the United States, according to customs data reviewed by Reuters.

The data showed that 97 per cent of Foxconn’s iPhone exports during this period went to the US, significantly higher than the 2024 average of 50.3 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Child Fame Costs: HBO’s New Young Harry Potter Reboot Stars

The new trio cast as Harry, Hermione and Ron step into a world where childhood and fame rarely mix well

Instagram/harrypotter/Getty Images

From Hogwarts to headlines, the real cost of childhood fame for Harry Potter’s new stars

As HBO prepares to bring Harry Potter back to screens with a new television adaptation, excitement is high around the casting of Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout as the iconic trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. But amid the buzz, a quiet voice of caution has emerged. Chris Watson, father of original Hermione actress Emma Watson, is urging parents and the industry to tread carefully when it comes to child stardom.

Chris Watson is not speaking as a critic or industry insider but as someone who watched his daughter grow up inside a global franchise. Emma was nine when she landed the role of Hermione Granger, and what followed was a decade of public attention that reshaped her life. Her father remembers the shift vividly. “Her homework would go back to school on motorbikes,” he once said, pointing to the surreal logistics fame forced on them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Thunderstorms to Hit East & South-East England; Met Office

The warning indicates a high risk of disruption

Getty Images

Thunderstorms to hit East and South-East England as Met Office issues amber warning

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for thunderstorms across parts of eastern and south-eastern England, in effect from 20:00 BST on Friday to 05:00 on Saturday. The affected area spans from Eastbourne in East Sussex to Cromer in north Norfolk.

The warning indicates a high risk of disruption, with flash flooding, power cuts, and hazardous travel conditions expected. The Met Office warns that flooding of homes and businesses is likely, and delays or cancellations to bus and rail services are possible due to surface water and lightning strikes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Crime boss who posed as male escort jailed for £20m cocaine plot

Shergill and his accomplices were arrested on different dates in 2020

Photo for representation (iStock)

Crime boss who posed as male escort jailed for £20m cocaine plot

THE head of an organised crime group who claimed he was a male escort while masterminding an international operation to import cocaine into the UK has been sentenced to 21 years and three months in jail.

Kulvir Shergill, 43, from the West Midlands, told National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators he made a living through male escort bookings, teaching martial arts and working as a personal trainer.

Keep ReadingShow less