This is WAY Messi beat RONALDO

Messi out-did CR9 in annual income

French magazine France Football yesterday published a list of the top ten biggest money-makers in the footballing world with FC Barcelona Lionel Messi topping the list, raking in an annual income of €33 million, taking over from David Beckham (€30.4 million) with Cristiano Ronaldo third (€30 million) for the year 2009.

The list estimates Messi’s annual earnings by taking into account his €10 million basic salary, €4 million in bonuses plus another €19 million from sponsors including Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Gillette, Gatorade, Konami, Air Europa, Telefonica/Movistar, SportCenter/ESPN, Damm, Danone, Lody For Men, Storkman, Repsol YPF, SanDisk and Mirage/Seiko.

Messi was outstanding last year as Barcelona won a unique six major trophies and he was then voted FIFA World Player of the Year, as France Football’s European Footballer of the Year and as World Soccer magazine’s World Footballer for 2009.

The complete top ten Rich List is as follows:

1. Leo Messi (Barcelona, Arg) €33m;

2. David Beckham (LA Galaxy, Eng) €30.4m;

3. C Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Por) €30m;

4. Kaka (Milan, Brz) €18.8m;

5. Thierry Henry (Barcelona, Fr) €18m;

6. Ronaldinho (Milan, Brz) €17.2m;

7. Carlos Tevez (Manchester City, Arg) €15.4m;

8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona, Swe) €14.5m;

9. Frank Lampard (Chelsea, Eng) €14.2m;

10. Samuel Eto’o (Internazionale, Cam) €13.8m.

Messi did something very important to his barca, the goal that barca needs very much.

Ángel Di María : 1 of 10 young players WHO COULD BECOME STARs

1. Ángel Di María (Argentina)

Considered by some to be the next big superstar for Argentina, Ángel Di María will definitely look to make a big impact for Argentina as they look to make a deep run in the World Cup.

During his career, Di María has played for Rosario Central and Benfica, and has made a big impact for the Argentine U20 and Argentine U23 squads.

With the U20 side, Di María won the 2007 U20 World Cup and with the U23 squad, Di María won the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal, with a winner against Nigeria in the final.

In the World Cup, look for Di María to continue to get playing time for Argentina and for the 22-year-old to continue to impress for Diego Maradona's side.

Hugo Lloris : 1 of 10 young players WHO COULD BECOME STARs

2. Hugo Lloris (France)

Currently the starting keeper for the French National Team, 23-year-old keeper Hugo Lloris could become a key member for the French National Team in South Africa as they look to make a deep run in South Africa.

During his career, Lloris has played for Nice and Lyon, and was key as France infamously qualified for the World Cup.

Lloris has also won the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship in 2005, and will be an extremely intriguing player to watch as France look to make a run in the World Cup.

Jozy Atlidore : 1 of 10 young players WHO COULD BECOME STARs

3. Jozy Atlidore (USA)

The next big thing for the United States National Team, Jozy Atlidore can have a major impact in the World Cup as he will most likely be starting up top for the Americans.

During the 20-year-old's career, Jozy has played for New York Red Bulls, Villarreal (where he became the first American international to score there) and Hull City.

During his international career, Jozy became the youngest American to ever have a hat trick in an international match and also scored the winning goal against Spain in June's Confederations Cup.

As long as he is able to finish and gets enough playing time come the World Cup, he could easily be the best young player of the tournament.

Giuseppe Rossi : 1 of 10 young players WHO COULD BECOME STARs

4. Giuseppe Rossi (Italy)

Even though he was born in the United States and lived their for the first 12 years of his life, Giuseppe Rossi moved to Italy to pursue a football career in Italy, and has now become a member of the Italian National Team.

During his career, Rossi has played for Manchester United, Newcastle, Parma and Villarreal.

Rossi was also able to score three goals for Italy during his international career to date, including two against the United States in the 2009 Confederations Cup.

Along with that, Rossi also scored the most goals in the 2008 Olympics with four, even though Italy only made the quarterfinals, and his speed, skill, and powerful shot will all be important for Italy in the upcoming World Cup when the 23-year-old comes off the bench.

Luis Alberto Suárez : 1 of 10 young players WHO COULD BECOME STARs

5. Luis Alberto Suárez (Uruguay)

Another rising star in South American football, Luis Alberto Suárez can really make a huge impact for Uruguay in Group A in the World Cup.

So far in the 23-year-old's career, Suárez has played for Nacional, Groningen and Ajax, where he currently is the club captain.

He is a great goal scorer for Uruguay, but he has a history of receiving many yellow cards, which could be costly in the World Cup.

But with a tandem of Suárez and Diego Forlán, Uruguay can surprise some and do well in the World Cup.

Giovani dos Santos : 1 of 10 young players WHO COULD BECOME STARs

6. Giovani dos Santos (Mexico)

The 20-year-old midfielder for the Mexican National Team (he will be 21 at the start of the World Cup), Giovan dos Santos is in a position to make this World Cup another chance to show the world how good of a footballer he could be.

During his career, dos Santos helped Mexico to win the U-17 World Cup in 2005, and also was able to be the MVP of the 2009 Gold Cup, and has played for FC Barcelona, Tottenham, Ipswich Town and Galatasaray in his club career.

He is expected to be a starter for the Mexican National Team at the World Cup.

Marek Hamsik : 1 of 10 young players WHO COULD BECOME STARs

7. Marek Hamsik (Slovakia)

The 22-year-old starting central midfielder for Slovakia, Marek Hamšík can make a major impact for the Slovakians in the World Cup.

During his career, Hamšík has played for Slovan Bratislava, Brescia and Napoli, and has been a major factor on all three sides.

For his international career, Hamšík has played for the Slovakian U-19 and U-21 sides, and is now a regular starter for Slovakia overall.

During the last two years, Hamšík won the Peter Dubovský Trophy for best young Slovak footballer, and has finished second to Martin Škrtel for the best Slovakian footballer of the year for the last two years.

Alexander Pato: 1 of 10 young players WHO COULD BECOME STARs

8. Alexander Pato (Brazil)

Currently 20 years old and considered to be one of the next big players in football today, Alexandre Pato will probably not get any starts for the Brazilian National Team in the World Cup, but he will most likely come in late during matches for Brazil.

During his career, Pato has played for Internacional and AC Milan, and has become one of the best players on Milan in recent seasons.

During his career with the Brazilian National team, Pato has won the 2007 South American Youth Championship and the 2009 Confederations Cup.

Alexis Sánchez : 1 of 10 young players WHO COULD BECOME STARs

9. Alexis Sánchez (Chile)

Currently 21 years old and one of the rising stars in South American football today, Alexis Sánchez can finally show us how good of a footballer he is during this World Cup.

During his career, Sánchez has earned the nickname El Niño Maravilla (the Wonder Boy) and has been able to play with Cobreloa, Colo Colo, River Plate and Udinese during his career.

Going into the World Cup, Sánchez will most likely be starting for Chile in every match in Group H.

Mesut Ozil: 1 of 10 young players WHO COULD BECOME STARs

10. Mesut Ozil (Germany)
One of the rising stars of the German National Team, 21-year-old Mesut Özil can become a football star with some great play in the upcoming World Cup.

During his career, Özil has won the U-21 European Championship in 2009, and has played for Schalke 04 and Werder Breman.

He probably won't be starting any matches for the Germans in the World Cup, but he is a player to watch off the bench, and he can definitely make an impact if he gets enough playing time.

HIGUAIN IS BAD

Press blames Higuain, Kaka for Real Euro exit

12 March 2010
Real Madrid´s Argentinian forward Gonzalo Higuain reacts during a UEFA Champions League match against Olympique Lyon at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. Spanish media accused Higuain of being too individualistic and Kaka of being out of form, two days after the Spain club were eliminated from the Champions League.

MADRID (AFP) - Spanish media on Friday accused Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain of being too individualistic and Kaka of being out of form, two days after the Spain club were eliminated from the Champions League.

Higuain, who missed several opportunities to score during Real's 1-1 draw at home to Lyon which sent the French team through 2-1 on aggregate, angered teammate Cristiano Ronaldo by his refusal to pass, sports daily Marca reported.

The 22-year-old, the club's top scorer in the Spanish league with 16 goals who is renegotiating his contract, plays too "individualistically" as he competes with fellow striker Karim Benzema for a place in the team's starting line-up, it added.

Real midfielder Guti said after Wednesday's match that the squad needed to play "as a team" to win in what was seen as a criticism of Higuain and his failure to pass to Ronaldo.

Daily newspaper El Mundo meanwhile pointed the finger at Kaka, who was replaced by veteran striker Raul with 13 minutes to go until the end of the match.

The paper said the "soldier Kaka", who has largely failed to replicate the form that made him the world's best player during his time at AC Milan, needed to be "saved".

The 27-year-old had his season interrupted by five weeks out with a groin injury picked up before Christmas and has found goals hard to come by since joining Real from AC Milan for 65 million euros.

Kaka's spokesman Diogo Kotscho accused Real coach Manuel Pellegrini of being a "coward" and "trying to take the focus off [his] own incompetence" with his substitution of the Brazilian player in a message posted on his personal Twitter account.

This is the sixth consecutive season that Real have been eliminated from the Champions League at the last-16 stage.

The nine-time European champions have not won Europe's most-coveted trophy since 2002 when they beat Germany's Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in Glasgow.