Who earns the most? Footballers or Formula One drivers?

Top earners: Football v F1

Top earners: Football v F1

Cristiano Ronaldo penned a new mega deal this week to maintain his position at the top of the money list, but how does his salary and other footballers’ compare to the Formula One boys?

Neither footballers or Formula One stars have lengthy careers and so they are handsomely rewarded for their short time at the top of their sports, but who gets paid the most?

Ronaldo is believed to be picking up £365,000 a week after he shook hands on a new deal in Madrid this week, but that pales into insignificance when you look at the top earners, who drive for a living.

The Real Madrid star would only be fourth in the list of Formula One drivers and his weekly salary lags heavily behind F1 top earner Sebastian Vettel’s $50million-a-year contract.

Still, both sports’ top men earn massive salaries and we are closing in on the first £1million a week wage.

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FOOTBALLERS

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) – £365,000 a week

C Ronaldo

Ronaldo signed a new contract at Real Madrid on Monday tying to him at the Spanish club until 2021 and keeping him as the club’s and the world’s best-paid player. His buyout clause is rumoured to be £900million.

2. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) – £346,000 a week

At the end of October Gareth Bale signed a new Real Madrid contract that is worth £18million a year and will keep him tied to the club until 2022.

3. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – £336,000 a week

Lionel Messi will sign a new contract at Barcelona this season, the club’s sporting director confirmed in September. The 29-year-old Argentina international is currently under contract until 2018 at the La Liga champions and his new deal could send him to the top of the pay scale.

4. Hulk (Shanghai SIPG) – £320,000 a week

Shanghai SIPG completed an Asian transfer record deal to sign Hulk from Zenit St Petersburg in June 2016. The Chinese club paid a reported £45million transfer fee to boot.

5. Paul Pogba (Man Utd) – £290,000 a week

Paul Pogba

The former Juventus man finally made a world-record £89million move from Turin to Man Utd in the summer of 2016. The former United man returned to Old Trafford in what was the transfer saga of the summer.

6. Graziano Pelle (Shandong Luneng) – £290,000 a week

The former Southampton striker became the highest paid Italian footballer of all time with a £13million move to the Chinese Super League in July 2016.

7. Neymar (Barcelona) – £270,000 a week

In July Neymar signed a new contract with Barcelona until June 2021 – and his buy-out clause for the last three years of the deal has been set at £210million.

8. Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) – £260,0000 a week

Wazza

Manchester United confirmed that England striker Wayne Rooney had signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract in February 2014.

9. Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) – £256,000 a week

Germany international Thomas Müller signed a contract extension with Bayern Munich in December 2015 tying him to the club until 2021.

 10. Robin van Persie (Fenerbahce) – £240,000 a week

Dutch veteran Robin Van Persie signed for Fenerbahce in a £4.7million deal – and picked up another £4m signing-on fee and wages of £240k-a-week on a three-year deal.

FORMULA ONE DRIVERS

1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) – £774,000 a week 

Vettel7

The four-time Formula 1 World Champion may be struggling to win on the track but with a whopping salary of $50m per year – plus bonuses – he is topping the Formula 1 chart for the best paid driver. But with just six podiums, no wins, to his tally in this his second year with Ferrari, they are at least saving on the bonuses.

2. Fernando Alonso (McLaren)- £620,000 a week

Double World Champion Fernando Alonso is in the second year of his three-year McLaren deal having returned to Woking in 2015. Alonso is hoping McLaren’s renewed partnership with Honda will start paying dividends before he has to decide the next step.

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3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – £480,800 a week

Triple World Champion Lewis Hamilton has a year remaining in his lucrative Mercedes’ deal, however, facing the prospect of losing the World title could cost him a penny or two as he loses out on that bonus pay-out.

4.Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) – £247,000 a week

Despite constant rumours about his future, Ferrari have once again re-signed Kimi Raikkonen on a one-year deal and at $16m per season it is no wonder the Iceman is determined to stick around.

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5. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) – £240,000 a week

Nico Rosberg, who stands on the cusp of a first World title, is the top earner who reportedly doesn’t have bonuses attached to his Mercedes deal. He must be kicking himself given his nine races wins and (possible) championship success.

6. Jenson Button (McLaren) – £201,000 a week 

Jenson Button will enter retirement, sorry sabbatical, with a nicely padded bank account as his final season with McLaren has earned him a cool $13m.

7. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) – £100,700 a week 

Daniel Ricciardo’s salary is an interesting one as the Australian racer, who extended his Red Bull stay through to 2018, is fighting the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari for race wins and yet trails them in the salary rankings. Good car? Good wage? Pick one.

8. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) – £77,000 a week

Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg will bid farewell to Force India at the end of this season with the Silverstone based team also saying goodbye to his $5m per year wages. A notable difference to team-mate Sergio Perez’s $2m.

9. Romain Grosjean (Haas) – £69,800 a week

Romain Grosjean swapped a manufacturer team for newcomers Haas at the start of 2016 with a salary of $4.5m. He has earned every cent of that by scoring all the team’s 28 points.

10. Felipe Massa (Williams) – £69,800 a week

It is goodbye to Formula 1 for Felipe Massa after the Brazilian announced that 2016 will be his final season before hanging up his helmet. He does so with millions from Ferrari and a tidy sum from Williams behind him.

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