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1. Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid
Reported salary: £288,000-a-week
It's not a huge surprise to see the Real Madrid man top of the pops when it comes to pay packets.
The former Manchester United star became Madrid's all-time leading scorer earlier this season as his assault on the record books continues. It's fair to say that he probably deserves his title as the world's best paid player.
2. Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona
Reported salary: £275,000-a-week
The Argentine genius trails his Real Madrid rival slightly, but like Ronaldo, sacrifices 52% of it in tax, ending up with just under £300,000 each week.
He and Ronaldo are comfortably clear of the rest of the field when it comes to club salary.
3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSG
Reported salary: £250,000-a-week
Next up is the not-so shy and retiring Swede, who has made a career out of big money transfers.
The 33-year-old's CV boasts of spells at Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and now PSG, where his current big-money contract is due to expire at the end of the season.
3= Wayne Rooney, Manchester United
Reported salary: £250,000-a-week
Manchester United may be struggling on the pitch this season, but the skipper remains central to Louis van Gaal's plans.
Critics would say he's held United to ransom for his last two contracts, but the England skipper is a marketer's dream off the pitch, which helps justify his lofty wages.
5. Robin van Persie, Fenerbache
Reported salary: £240,000-a-week
The Dutchman swapped Old Trafford for Turkey last summer and only saw a £10,000-a-week drop in wages, as he penned a three-year deal at Fenerbache.
The 32-year-old has netted nine times for Fener in the Turkish league this season
6. Asamoah Gyan, Shanghai SIPG
Reported salary: £227,000-a-week
One out of the left-field here.
The former Sunderland man joined Sven-Goran Eriksson in China last summer, before it was cool.
It's not the Ghana international's first stupidly big deal, as Sven pinched him from Al Ain, where he was on $250,000-a-week.
7. Ezequiel Lavezzi, Hebei China Fortune
Reported salary : £222,000-a-week
Lavezzi has become the latest big name signing to arrive in China, with his wage slip being swelled by the fact that Hebei only had to shell out £3.5million to PSG for the Argentine.
Once the tax man has had his share of Lavezzi's £400,000-a-week, he's still left with a handsome sum.
The likes of Ramires and Alex Teixeira have had to settle for lesser pay packets owing to the higher fees that the club have paid.
8. Sergio Aguero, Manchester City
Reported salary: £220,000-a-week
Compared to some of the wages banded around this list, City fans will see Sergio Aguero as being somewhat of a bargain.
When fit, the Argentine oozes goals, netting 92 times in the Premier League since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2011.
8= Yaya Toure, Manchester City
Reported salary: £220,000-a-week
At his best, Toure is a talismanic figure for Manchester City, but rumours continue to swirl over his Etihad future.
The Ivory Coast midfielder still has 18 months left on his big money deal at the Premier League title contenders.
8 = Neymar, Barcelona
Reported salary : £220,000
Part of the MSN frontline that is as good as anything attack we've seen in recent memory, Neymar's salary isn't quite at the level of Lionel Messi, although he does pocket £15,000-a-week more than the attacking trident's other figure, Luis Suarez.
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