Lionel Messi tops rich list with earnings of £1m per week

Barcelona striker Lionel Messi has been named as the world's richest footballer by a French magazine.

The Argentina international rakes in £1m a week thanks to a salary of £26m and lucrative sponsorship contracts, according to the results of an annual survey published by France Football.

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is said to be the sport's second-highest earner followed by fellow Spanish-based player Neymar.

The Premier League's highest-ranked star was Robin van Persie with a basic salary of £11.8m plus bonuses, while Sergio Aguero, Wayne Rooney, Eden Hazard and Yaya Toure all featured in the top 10.

Jose Mourinho was named as the world's highest-paid coach, with a salary of £10m supplemented by earnings of £3.2m in commercial revenue.