The eye-watering wages Lionel Messi is being paid by Barcelona have been leaked by El Mundo.
The lucrative contract signed by the Argentina international in November 2017, which is set to expire this year, was said to potentially be worth more than €555million.
According to the Spanish newspaper, that includes annual earnings in excess of €138m dependent on some variables as well as a renewal fee of over €115m and a loyalty bonus just shy of €78m.
The report says Messi has earned €29.8m of the €73.5m up for grabs in incentives, making the deal ultimately worth €511.5m to the superstar striker.
That would make the 33-year-old the world s best-paid athlete, seeing him bring in around five times the amount NBA great LeBron James makes.
But against a backdrop of financial woes, with Barca s accounts for 2019-20 showing a gross debt of €820m, have the Catalan giants really got value for their money?
We take a closer look at the figures involved behind the deal and provide a breakdown of Messi s worth to the side.
Five white shirts. Only
