Beckham tops footballer rich-list

David Beckham is the richest footballer on the planet, ahead of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, having accumulated a net wealth of £175 million according to a new survey.
The 37-year-old, who recently made the move from LA Galaxy to Paris Saint-Germain and revealed his wages would go to a local charity, is worth almost £60 million more than Messi, who is second on the Goal.com 2013 Rich List.
The Barcelona forward, who is worth a reported £115.3m, appears to have been reaping the rewards of his on-pitch success in recent years by edging ahead of rival Cristiano Ronaldo, whose wealth is estimated at around £112m.
Ronaldo's Real Madrid team-mate Kaka may no longer be an automatic first-choice at the Bernabeu but a career spent with the elite of Europe football have made him one of the first names down on the rich-list; the Brazilian is worth a reported £66.5m.
Completing the top five is another Brazilian, Ronaldinho, whose wealth is rated at £63 million despite the fact he left behind the vast riches on offer in Europe to return home and play for Atletico Mineiro last year.
The rich list is based on each player's salary, endorsements and assets, and Goal.com Managing Editor Amar Singh says the fact Beckham tops the list despite not taking a salary is a sign that elite footballers have transcended the game into the wider world.
"The world's top footballers can no longer be regarded as just athletes - they are major international brands and David Beckham is the biggest brand of them all," he said.
"Our findings show just how much wealth footballers are able to accumulate by leveraging this.
"Far from the bling-loving, sports car-collecting stereotypes, the vast majority of footballers on the Goal Rich List are putting their money to positive use by setting up charitable foundations or funding community initiatives.”

culled from www.givemefootball.com