An unprecedented nine soccer players appear in this year’s Sports Illustrated’s International 20 list of the top earning non-American athletes. And while European-based soccer players don’t tend to earn as much as the best players in sports like tennis, auto racing or MotoGP, past performance and image seem to count more than current achievement, when it comes to making the big bucks. Each of the nine players on the list is 26 or older, indicating that it takes time to build up a big paycheck in the beautiful game-regardless of what your transfer fee was.
Unsurprisingly, Ronaldinho trumped all other earners in the sport last year, finishing second in the list. Behind him were David Beckham (5th), Thierry Henry (9th), Michael Ballack (10th), Ronaldo (11th), Andriy Shevchenko (15th), Alex Del Piero (18th), John Terry (19th) and Steven Gerrard (20th).
To be sure, many of these guys are riding the wave of past success to the richness they currently enjoy, particularly Becks, Ronaldo, Del Piero and, perhaps, Shevchenko. And with the possible exception of Terry, Ronaldinho and Gerrard, each of these players is past his best. Incidentally, a good rapport with Asia, a crucial market when it comes to endorsements, is also key: just ask Becks Ronaldo and Del Piero. But where, for example, are Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Carlos Tevez? It shows that in soccer, it takes a while to build a lasting image and rake in the big bucks.