Number 1 – Cristiano Ronaldo, 16.95 Million Dollars
The most expensive player in history deserves to be the highest paid player in the game. With 11 goals in 13 league matches, the only thing that seems to stop one of the most hated athletes in the world are the occasional injuries and the occasional suspension for breaking an opponents nose.
Number 2 – Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 15.6 Million Dollars
Still Barcelona. Zlatan has cooled down since the calender turned to 2010, but Barcelona are winning (almost all the time) and Zlatan, scoring or not, is one of the best players in the world.
Number 3 Lionel Messi
13.65 Million Dollars
The tiny Argentinian continues to play like the best in the world, maybe because he is. 16 Goals and 8 assists in 19 league matches for the Catalan side while Maradona wonders why he isn’t playing like that when he wears the Argentina shirt.
Number 4 Samuel Eto’o
13.65 Million Dollars
He hasn’t exactly been scoring in the numbers we’re used to from the Cameroon striker, but has 8 so far and Inter are leading the Serie A comfortably, so generally, life is good for Eto’o. Lets see how good they’ll be after the dust from the clash with Chelsea settles.
Number 5 – Kaka, 13.05 Million Dollars
The Brazilian Galactico is probably disappointing many fans with his stat line of 4 goals and 5 assists in 18 matches this season, but the way Real play, with Ronaldo on your side, the numbers are obviously going to be lower than in the past. Still, it seems that Real’s style isn’t exactly best suited for Kaka to show his full arsenal of abilities. A big test will be coming in 10 days when Lyon arrive at Madrid for the second leg of their Champions League clash after a 1-0 win in France, with Kaka needing to prove he can lead this team even when Ronaldo isn’t himself. Oh, and he needs to win some minor trophy for a football obsessed nation this summer, no biggie.
Numbers 6, Karim Benzema
11.1 Million Dollars
Karim Benzema
11.1 Million Dollars
It’s sometimes hard standing out on such a star studded side, but despite pushing Raul to the bench and maybe across the Atlantic, Benzema is slightly disappointing and suffering from Higuain’s fantastic season.
Numbers 7 Emmanuel Adebayor
, 11.1 Million Dollars
Adebayor start out firing on all cylinders for his new club, but after his suspension due to his disgusting actions against Van Persie, it seemed that he and City lost the momentum. After the tragedy in Angola and some time off, it seems Adebayor is coming back to his early-season-self, scoring three goals in City’s last four matches.
Number 8 – Carlos Tevez, 10.5 Million Dollars
Speaking of Manchester City, here is their first player on this list, Carlitos Tevez who has been fantastic for the lesser Manchester side after a woeful start to the season. He has already scored 13 goals this season, one shy of his best in the premiership.
Numbers 9 Steven Gerrard
, 9.75 Million Dollars
Not the greatest season so far in 2009-2010 for Stevie G, scoring 5 league goals so far, with the last one coming in December. Liverpool’s disappointing form this season is directly related with his sub-par performances, and an improved spring campaign from him could mean Champions League next season.
Numbers 10 Xavi
, 9.75 Million Dollar
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Not as productive statistically like last year (2 goals, 6 assists so far), but he’s still the heart of the best side in Spain and probably Europe. Lets not forget he has a chance to lead Spain to it’s first World Cup trophy in a few months in South Africa.
