Beckham calls time on career

David Beckham has announced he will retire from football at the end of the season.



The former England captain, who turned 38 earlier this month, will quit at the top days after helping Paris St Germain to their first French championship in 19 years.

That made him the first Englishman to win titles in four different countries, and PSG were keen to hold on to the midfielder beyond the end of his short-term contract.

But Beckham has instead opted to follow his old mentor Sir Alex Ferguson into retirement, calling a halt to a senior career which began with a Manchester United debut in a League Cup tie at Brighton on September 23 1992.

His final appearance is likely to come for PSG away at Lorient on May 26.

He said: "I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level.

"If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over one hundred times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. I'm fortunate to have realised those dreams."

Beckham won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League with United, where he was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1997.

Glenn Hoddle gave him an England debut in September 1996, and he survived the fall-out from an infamous red card at the 1998 World Cup to become his country's most-capped outfield player, 59 of 115 appearances coming as skipper.

Beckham left Old Trafford for Real Madrid in the summer of 2003 and won the Liga title in the last of his four seasons in Spain before signing for LA Galaxy, where he was twice an MLS Cup winner.

He spent two loan spells in Italy with Milan and made a final move to Paris in January this year.

Beckham joined Sky as an ambassador for sport earlier this year and has also spent time promoting football in China.

He said: "Nothing will ever completely replace playing the game I love, however I feel like I'm starting a new adventure and I'm genuinely excited about what lies ahead.



"I'm fortunate to have been given many opportunities throughout my career and now I feel it's my time to give back."



BECKHAM'S CAREER BY NUMBERS

Manchester United - 394 games, 85 goals

Preston North End (loan) - 5 games 2 goals

Real Madrid - 115 games 20 goals

LA Galaxy - 118 games 20 goals

AC Milan - 33 games 2 goals

PSG - 11 games 0 goals



DAVID BECKHAM FACTFILE

• 1975: Born Leytonstone, May 2.


• 1991: Joins Manchester United as trainee.


• 1992: Makes debut against Brighton in the League Cup on September 23. Wins FA Youth Cup.


• 1993: Signs professional contract at Old Trafford.


• 1995: Joins Preston on loan in February and scores two goals in five games.


• 1996: Helps United to Premier League and FA Cup double.


• Scores goal of the season on opening day at Wimbledon, lobbing Neil Sullivan from the halfway line. Makes his England debut in the 3-0 win in Moldova.


• 1997: Collects another championship winners' medal, voted PFA Young Player of the Year.


• 1998: Scores first England goal, a free-kick against Colombia in Lens on June 26. Sent off in second-round penalty shoot-out defeat against Argentina.


• 1999: Helps United win the Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup after coming from behind to beat Bayern Munich with two late goals.


• Runner-up in World Player of the Year awards, behind Rivaldo.


• 2000: May - Collects fourth championship winner's medal as United win title by a record 18 points.


• November - Named England captain for the November friendly with Italy in Turin by stand-in boss Peter Taylor.


• 2001: May - Collects another Premier League title with United.


• October - Curls in a 25-yard last-minute free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford to earn England a 2-2 draw and send them into World Cup finals.


• 2002: May 11 - Signs new three-year contract reported to be worth between £90,000 and £100,000 a week.


• June 7 - Scores from the penalty spot in the World Cup group stage match against Argentina to seal a 1-0 win.


• England bow out in the quarter-finals at the hands of eventual winners Brazil.


• 2003: February - Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson accidentally kicks a boot into Beckham's face in frustration at United's FA Cup defeat to Arsenal.


• June 14 - Awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to football.


• June 17 - United announce they have accepted a £25million bid from Real Madrid for Beckham, who agrees personal terms.


• 2004: June 24 - Misses a penalty as England lose to Portugal in a shoot-out in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals in Lisbon.


• 2005: November: Captains England for 50th time in friendly against Argentina in Geneva.


• July 2 - Stands down as England captain.


• August 11 - Dropped from squad for friendly against Greece, Steve McClaren's first match as manager.


• 2007: January 11 - Beckham announces he will leave Real Madrid and join Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy on a five-year contract in August.


• January 13 - Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello says Beckham will never play for the club again.


• May 26 - McClaren hands Beckham a shock England recall for matches against Brazil and Estonia.


• June - Wins the La Liga title with Madrid, having won back his place in the team.


• August 16 - Beckham scores his first goal for Galaxy on his full debut in the SuperLiga semi-final meeting with DC United with a trademark free-kick.


• 2008: March 26 - Wins 100th cap in the friendly against France.


• October 30 - Milan announce Beckham will join them on loan on January 7, 2009.


• 2009: January 11 - Makes shock first start for Milan in 2-2 Serie A draw at Roma.


• March 9 - AC Milan announce that under a unique 'timeshare' agreement, Beckham will stay with them in Italy until the end of the season, return to the Galaxy from July to October and then rejoin the Serie A club for the rest of the 2009-10 campaign.


• March 28 - Comes on as a half-time substitute against Slovakia at Wembley to win his 109th cap and break Bobby Moore's record for an outfield player.


• July 20, 27 - Twice confronts fans who gave him a hostile reception in his first home games after returning to the Galaxy.


• 2010: March 14 - Tears his Achilles tendon in AC Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo - an injury that rules him out of the World Cup.


• June - Part of England's backroom staff for World Cup campaign which ends in second-round defeat to Germany.


• August 11 - England career appears to be at an end when Capello tells ITV: 'Probably he is a little bit old.'


• 2011: November 20 - Wins the MLS Cup as the Galaxy beat Houston Dynamo 1-0 in the final.


• December 31 - Five-year deal at the Galaxy expires.


• 2012: January 19 - Re-signs with the Galaxy.


• June 28 - Announces he has not been included in Team GB's squad for the Olympic Games.


• November 16 - Football Federation Australia claim a representative of Beckham approaches them with a view to the midfielder making a short-term move to the A-League in the MLS off-season. A Beckham spokesman says his client has 'absolutely no plans to play in Australia'.


• November 20 - Confirms he is to leave the Galaxy after MLS Cup on December 1.


• December 1 - Ends his time in MLS in style by winning a second MLS Cup with a 3-1 win over Houston Dynamo.


• 2013: January 31 - Signs a five-month contract with Paris St Germain, revealing at a press conference he will play without a salary, donating what he would have earned to a children's charity in the French capital.


• February 24 - Makes his PSG debut as a substitute against rivals Marseille.


• April 2 - Starts Champions League quarter-final first leg against Barcelona. A brief substitute appearance in the following week's second leg was his final European game.


• May 12 - PSG clinch the Ligue 1 title with a 1-0 win over Lyon. Beckham becomes the first Englishman to win league titles in four different countries.


• May 16 - Announces his retirement from football.

Beckham Carrer in Pictures:

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Becks: I may stay at PSG

David Beckham has told Sky Sports that Carlo Ancelotti and the Paris St Germain owner Nasser al-Khelaifi have asked him to stay with the club next season.

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Such a scenario would see Beckham playing beyond his 39th birthday and Sky Sports' new ambassador has refused to rule it out.

"My contract does end after this season. People have asked if I am going to continue to play, if I am going to continue to play here," he told Sky Sports.

"The owners, and the manager, have made it very clear they would like me to stay here and I am touched and honoured by that.

"When you join a club sometimes it takes time to bed in and get that relationship with the players, the staff and the fans, but thankfully it has happened pretty quickly here in Paris, and it has been an amazing time so far and one that is going to continue.

"I am enjoying this season so far and will enjoy it until the end of the season, hopefully we will be successful and then I will make a decision on what I do.

"But to be honest I am 38 in May and you get a reminder of your age every now and then, but I am still enjoying playing, I love playing and until that goes away I hope I can continue."

He insists that he is yet to think about retirement, adding: "People ask me at what point will I retire? And we will see.

"It is a question that keeps coming up but is something I am not thinking about right now. Until I decide that is the right thing to do - retiring is not an option yet."


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World's Best-Paid Football Players

Last year David Beckham made bigger bucks stripping to his skivvies than he did winning on the pitch. -->Lucrative endorsement deals, like his infamous underwear ad for H&M, made up nearly 90% of his 2012 haul. But good play still means good pay. Barcelona's Lionel Messi, four-time world player of the year, recently signed football's richest on-field contract. His salary, coupled with a coveted Adidas deal, could soon make him the top scorer off the field, too. In total the 20 best-paid football players in the world made $433 million last year. Figures are from salary, bonuses and sponsorships earned during the 2012 calendar year. To compile our list, we spoke with players, agents, talent agencies, commercial sponsors, football experts in the U.S. and Europe, and looked through sponsor filings.



1. David Beckham

Total earnings: $50.6 million

Age: 37

Club: Paris Saint-Germain

Country: United Kingdom

Major Sponsor(s): Adidas, Breitling, Coty, H&M, Sainsbury

One reason David Beckham agreed to donate to charity the salary he will earn during his current 5-month stay at Paris Saint-Germain? He can afford it. The 37-year old British midfielder had his best year in 2012 in terms of commercial endorsements, banking $44.1 million from sponsors including Adidas, Coty, H&M, Sainsbury and newest partner, Breitling. Off the pitch he won his second MLS cup with the Los Angeles Galaxy on his way to taking in another $6.5 million to earn a total of $50.6 million last year. Next continent to conquer is China. Becks signed a multi-year deal to become an ambassador for the Chinese Super League, a role which will see him make three trips in 2013 to the country and play an an exhibition game.



2. Cristiano Ronaldo

Total earnings: $43.5 million

Age: 28

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Portugal

Major Sponsor(s): Nike, Castrol, Clear Shampoo, Mobitti, Konami, Banco Espirito Santo

The 2012 runner-up world's best player of the year was proud enough to have his sponsor, Nike, commemorate his record 60 goals in 55 games last year by stitching both numbers (among other stats) into his boots. Contract extension talks with Real Madrid stalled prior to the start of the 2012/13 season over the player's share in his image rights. He currently splits them 60-40 with the club, known for usually taking 50 percent of a player's rights. The Portuguese winger has a lot at stake -- he currently earns $21.6 million of his total $43.5 million from sponsors. His current contract runs through the 2014/15 season.



3. Lionel Messi

Total earnings: $40.3 million

Age: 25

Club: Barcelona

Country: Argentina

Major Sponsor(s): Adidas, Pepsi, EA Sports, Head & Shoulders, Herbalife, Turkish Airlines, Dolce & Gabana

After scoring 91 goals in all competitions last year to break a 40-year-old world record held by Gerd Muller, Messi then won FIFA’s world player of the year award for a record fourth year in a row. Barcelona rewarded the 25-year old who started his career as a youth at the club with a record contract extension through 2018 that will pay him up to $21.2 million a year and make him the highest earner on-the-pitch. Adidas recently launched his icon signature line, only the second time they have done so for one of their brand ambassadors (the first was with David Beckham).



4. Sergio Aguero

Total earnings: $20.8 million

Age: 24

Club: Manchester City

Country: Argentina

Major Sponsor(s): Puma, Pepsi

Only halfway into his 2nd year on his current 5-year contract, Aguero is set to cash in again with a reported new 5-year deal with Man City -- an attempt to ward off suitors rumored to include Real Madrid. This despite the fact that his goal scoring this season is off top form from last season. Sponsor Puma found the Argentine, nicknamed 'Kun', has another talent and will feature it in a new commercial. The striker can sink a straight shot on the pool table.



5. Wayne Rooney

Total earnings: $20.3 million

Age: 27

Club: Manchester United

Country: United Kingdom

Major Sponsor(s): Nike, Harper Collins

Rooney appears at a crossroads in his career, during the middle of his current 5-year contract. His fate with Man U is constantly in the headlines with rumors that he's fallen out of favor with the club and manager Sir Alex Ferguson but that a hoped summer transfer is improbable due to his high salary. Off the pitch, sponsors are drying up. Most recently, EA Sports decided to end it's 7-year partnership with the striker. None of this has left Rooney at a loss for words though. His third book as part of his deal with Harper Collins title "My Decade In The Premier League" was published in September.



6. Yaya Toure

Total earnings: $20.2 million

Age: 29

Club: Manchester City

Country: Ivory Coast

Major Sponsor(s): Puma

The Ivory Coast midfielder signed a new contract with Man City at the beginning of this month with a slightly reduced basic wage but loaded with incentives tied to the team's success. This latest 4-year deal ties him up with the club through 2017 and is worth up to $20 million a year in salary and bonus that will keep him among the sports top earners on the pitch.



7. Fernando Torres

Total earnings: $20.2 million

Age: 29

Club: Chelsea

Country: Spain

Major Sponsor(s): Nike, Pepsi

Since joining Chelsea in January 2011, the Spanish striker has failed to live up to his past production at Liverpool which led to his near $80 million British record transfer fee. Not only has he been often left out of the Blues' starting lineup, his national team has recently overlooked him completely for international competition. Still this season in all competitions, he has scored 20 goals for his club. After opting to wear a pair of Adidas boots during a match in February, rumor swirled Torres may be making the switch from Nike at the end of this season.



8. Neymar

Total earnings: $19.5 million

Age: 21

Club: Santos

Country: Brazil

Major Sponsor(s): Nike, Konami, Panasonic, Red Bull, Santander, Unilver, Volkswagen

The young Brazilian superstar, already one of the most prolific scorers in the history of Santos, is on the verge of a popularity boom. He is touted as the complete package: young, skillful and good-looking. Speculation exists that a move to Spain -- most likely Barcelona -- is, if not imminent, inevitable. But the wonderkid is currently raking in the riches playing at home. Sponsors have lined up in anticipation of a move to a more globally marketed team and the 2014 World Cup where his country is expected to make him the face of the competition. In the past year his total earnings have more than doubled.



9. Ricardo Kaka

Total earnings: $19.3 million

Age: 30

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Brazil

Major Sponsor(s): Adidas, Pepsi

Once regarded as one of the best players in the world, the oft-injured and reserved Kaka is rumored to be scrambling to find a suitable home to play on a more regular basis than he currently does with Real Madrid. A loan to his former club AC Milan in January failed due to his high cost. His current club was said to want to recoup the nearly $91 million they paid to get him from the Serie A club in 2009 but was unable to work out a suitable deal. The player squashed reports that clubs in his native Brazil and the Los Angeles Galaxy are in the running for his services when he said he wants to remain in Europe ahead of the 2014 World Cup, in order to increase his chances of making his national team.



10. Didier Drogba

Total earnings: $17.8 million

Age: 35

Club: Galatasaray

Country: Ivory Coast

Major Sponsor(s): Nike, Pepsi

After eight years with Chelsea where he scored 157 goals in 341 appearances and helped them win 10 titles including their 2012 Champions League trophy, the Ivory Coast Striker signed in June 2012 with Shanghai Shenhua of the Chinese Super League which has been dogged by scandal and match-fixing. The two-and-a-half-year deal to pay him up to $300,000 a week turned into a six-month stint. The club's owners battled for control and Drogba went unpaid. In January Galatasaray signed him to an 18-month deal.



11. Steven Gerrard

Total earnings: $17.3 million

Age: 32

Club: Liverpool

Country: United Kingdom

Major Sponsor(s): Adidas

The Liverpool and England midfielder's current contract expires at the end of the 2013/14 season. It includes a role for him to remain as an ambassador for the Reds, the club he has been with since he was 8 years old. But the 32-year old doesn't seem keen on hanging up his boots in the next year. Contract negotiations are reportedly in the works to extend his playing days another 3 years. His sponsor Adidas celebrates his 100th England cap in November with a commemorative boot stitched with the accomplishment.



12. Emmanuel Adebayor

Total earnings: $16.7 million

Age: 29

Club: Tottenham Hotspur

Country: Togo

Major Sponsor(s): Adidas, Power Horse

Former African player of the year Adebayor made the permanent move to the Spurs in August after a year on loan from Man City. In order to complete the deal, City had to agree to pay the striker a $6 million payout to make up for the lower base salary he needed to take to fit with Tottenham's pay structure. His weekly wages dropped from $270,000 to $159,000.



13. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Total earnings: $16.6 million

Age: 27

Club: Paris Saint-Germain

Country: Sweden

Major Sponsor(s): Nike, Bonnier

Following two seasons with AC Milan, including one on loan from Barcelona after a falling out with former coach Pep Guardiola, the Swedish striker signed for PSG in June 2012. He now leads the Ligue 1 in scoring with 26 goals and has helped position his club to take its first league title in two decades. His signing has been credited with the boost in television rights fees from foreign partners.



14. Carlos Tevez

Total earnings: $16.6 million

Age: 25

Club: Manchester City

Country: Argentina

Major Sponsor(s): Nike

Absent for much of the 2011/12 season due in part to behavioral issues (he jetted off to his homeland without permission), Tevez returned to City in March 2012 and helped contribute to their first league title in 44 years. His off-the-pitch problems persist though. In January he was banned six months from driving for speeding in his Hummer. In March he was caught behind of the wheel of his Porsche and sentenced to 250 hours of community. The undercurrent of drama that follows him have kept sponsors at bay.



15. Samuel Eto'o

Total earnings: $16 million

Age: 32

Club: Anzhi Makhachkala

Country: Cameroon

Major Sponsor(s): Puma

The Cameroon striker's bank account has flourished since signing an ultra-rich contract with Anzhi while his gameplay has fallen off the football radar in the underdeveloped Russian league. But that has not kept him from making headlines. He has lashed out at his native country's football association claiming they have siphoned his money and alleged they want him killed. He has recently backed out of Cameroon competition along with teammates, all citing injuries, and has said he sleeps with military police protection.



16. Samir Nasri

Total earnings: $15.7 million

Age: 25

Club: Manchester City

Country: France

Major Sponsor(s): Adidas

Since leaving Arsenal in August 2011 to sign a 4-year deal with City, the midfielder has often been criticized for his lack of production in relation to his high salary. Playing among an overcrowded talent pool for his position, he's been repeatedly on top of a list of players to leave the club this summer.



17. Frank Lampard

Total earnings: $15.7 million

Age: 34

Club: Chelsea

Country: United Kingdom

Major Sponsor(s): Adidas, Little Brown

Lampard's current contract with Chelsea expires in May. Real Madrid skipper Jose Mourinho who is targeted to take over the Blues from interim Rafa Benitez is reported to have said he will only do so if the 34-year old is retained. A deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy is said to still be on the table, worth $6 million a year. However with a spot on the 2014 World Cup national team on the line it is said Lamps has been warned not to leave European competition. His children's book, Frankie Versus The Pirate Pillagers, the first in a 5-book deal with Little Brown, will be published this upcoming June.



18. John Terry

Total earnings: $15.6 million

Age: 32

Club: Chelsea

Country: United Kingdom

Any sponsor that stuck around after allegations of Terry's extra-marital affair with a national teammate's girlfriend in 2010, abandoned him shortly after in 2012 when he was summons to British criminal court and an FA trial for racial abuse stemming from an incident involving Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand. He was acquitted by the former but admitted to uttering racial slurs which resulted in him being found guilty by the latter. Included in his lost deals was his $6.5 million a year contract with boot sponsor Umbro. Terry also resigned from the national team which he had twice captained. His playing contract with Chelsea is up at the end of the 2013/14 season.



19. David Silva

Total earnings: $15.4 million

Age: 27

Club: Manchester City

Country: Spain

Major Sponsor(s): Adidas

In September 2012 the midfielder signed a new 5-year contract with City that will pay him up to $16.5 million a year, a near 50% increase on his playing salary.



20. Karim Benzema

Total earnings: $14.9 million

Age: 25

Club: Real Madrid

Country: France

Major Sponsor(s): Adidas, Hyundai, EA Sports

The current two-time French player of the year has a contract with Real Madrid through the 2014/15 season. After rejecting a bid from Man U last summer, the striker is said to be uninterested in rumored talks with Juventus who wants to sign him this summer. Off the pitch, Benzema starred in a commercial for the much-anticipated FIFA 13 with Leo Messi.

In Pictures: Top 20 valuable clubs in the World.

Psg look to extend David Beckham's contract for another year

David Beckham could be set for a prolonged stay in Paris after PSG revealed that they are hoping to extend his contract in the French capital.



Beckham has made nine appearances for the Ligue Une leaders since he signed for PSG in January, largely from the bench.



However, the 37-year-old has impressed manager Carlo Ancelotti and club officials, as well as his team-mates at the club.



PSG sporting director Leonardo made it clear the French side would welcome Beckham continuing on their books, for his impact is decisive not just on the pitch but off it too.



"If he wants to stay, he will stay," said Leonardo. "Beckham was the first player that I called when I got here.



"Beckham is a leader, and it is a privilege to have him in the team. He will be 38 soon, and it is up to him to decide on his future. He has his life, his family to think about."



PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic echoed Leonardo's sentiments about the former England captain staying at the club, saying: "The owners want him to stay, the coach wants him to stay, the players want him to stay, and that is why I am sure he will commit to at least another season in the summer."

Beckham hopes for progress

David Beckham remains hopeful Paris Saint-Germain can reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after their 2-2 draw with Barcelona at the Parc des Princes.

style="border-radius: 25px 25px 25px 25px; border: 5px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);" width="208" />Blaise Matuidi, who will miss next Wednesday's return leg after being booked, left the quarter-final tie in the balance when his last-gasp shot squirmed beyond Victor Valdes.

Barca had twice led, through Lionel Messi's wonderful opener and Xavi's late penalty, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored PSG's first equaliser, although replays showed he should have been flagged offside.

Beckham said: "In the first half, especially in the first 10 minutes, we had a few very good chances and if we'd have put one of those away it might have been different.

"Then obviously they got their goal, then it was an uphill battle, but I think we deserved the draw.

"It's better than it was at 2-1. We go there, it's going to be difficult but there's no reason we can't go there and get a result."

Barca lost Messi at half-time with a right hamstring injury, with reports suggesting he could be out for three weeks, and Beckham added: "I hope he's not injured, we all hope he's fit and ready to go for any game that's coming up. We wish him better."

Beckham was happy to be a part of such a big occasion once more, three years after he last featured in the competition while on loan at AC Milan.

"I was obviously very happy (to start)," he said. "The manager (Carlo Ancelotti) has always shown a lot of confidence in me, especially in big moments, and tonight was a big moment for the club and I was happy to start.

"I feel pretty much the same (as at Milan), it was only three years ago. I'm enjoying being part of these nights again, they're very special."

There has been much speculation this week over a potential extension to Beckham's short-term deal in Paris, which runs until the end of the season.



But he said: "Let's wait and see. Let's recover from this game and enjoy the rest of the season."

Beckham begins Beijing role

David Beckham has arrived in Beijing to begin his role as China's first global football ambassador.

The former England captain, who will combine the job with playing for Paris Saint Germain, was met by a media scrum and thousands of fans at the start of his four-day visit.

Beckham will attend league matches in China and visit schools to promote the game at grassroots level.

The 37-year-old said earlier this month that he was "excited by the prospect of promoting the world's greatest game to Chinese sports fans".

Chinese football is working to recover from a match-fixing scandal that has seen several top officials, players and referees jailed or banned.

Television viewing figures for foreign leagues far outnumber those for the tarnished domestic league, while the national side failed to qualify for next year's World Cup.

Top Richest footballers in the World

Former Real Madrid striker Raul Gonzales is the richest Spanish footballer, according to a recent report run by Goal.com on the sport’s richest.

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Raul who nows players for Qatari side Al Sadd, after a spell with German club Schalke, is worth around €44m, beating Barcelona striker David Villa (€43m), Iker Casillas (€35m) and Fernando Torres (€29m).



Another former Los Blancos player, David Beckham is number one on the list, earning a staggering 200m euros, whilst Barca’s Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo sit second and third respectively.



Another Real Madrid player, Kaka is fourth on the list, whilst Ronaldinho, now playing Brazil sits fifth.



Full List



1. David Beckham (PSG) – 200 million euros



2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – € 134m



3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) – € 130m



4. Kaká (Real Madrid) – € 80m



5. Ronaldinho (Atletico Mineiro) – € 73m



6. Samuel Eto’o (Anzhi Makhachkala) – € 60m



7. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) – € 58m



8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG) – € 55m



9. Rivaldo (Sao Caetano) – € 53m



10. Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) – € 49m



11. Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls) – € 48m



12. Michael Owen (Stoke City) – € 46.5m



13. Raul Gonzalez (Al Sadd) – € 44m



14. David Villa (Barcelona) – € 43m



15. Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy) – € 41m



16. Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) – € 40m



17. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) – € 38m



18. Robbie Fowler (no team) – € 37.5m



19. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) – € 37m



20. Robinho (AC Milan) – € 36m



21. Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) – € 35m



22. Frank Ribery (Bayern Munich) – € 33.5m



23. John Terry (Chelsea) – € 31.5m



24. Didier Drogba (Galatasaray) – € 29m



25. Fernando Torres (Chelsea) – € 29m



26. Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray) – € 25.5m



27. Nicolas Anelka (Juventus – transfer) – € 25m



28. Alessandro Del Piero (Sydney FC) – € 24.5m



29. Miroslav Klose (Lazio) – € 24m



30. Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich) – € 24m



31. Francesco Totti (Roma) – € 24m



32. Petr Cech (Chelsea) – € 23m



33. Neymar (Santos) – € 23m



35. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich) – € 23m



36. Joe Cole (West Ham United) – € 22.5m



37. Andrea Pirlo (Juventus) – € 22.5m



38. Paul Scholes (Manchester United) – € 22m



39. Damien Duff (Fulham) – € 21.5m



40. Park Ji-Sung (QPR) – € 21m



41. Daniele De Rossi (Roma) – € 21m



42. Clarence Seedorf (Botafogo) – € 21m



43. David Trezeguet (River Plate) – € 20m



44. Xavi (Barcelona) – € 20m



45. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) – € 19.5m



46. Ashley Cole (Chelsea) – € 19.5m



47. Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama F Marinos) – € 19.5m



48. Michael Essien (Real Madrid – transfer) – € 19m



49. Yaya Toure (Manchester City) – € 19m



50. Alessandro Nesta (Montreal Impact) – € 18.5m

Beckham ready to rejoin elite

David Beckham says he still has the passion of a 21-year-old as he prepares to return to the Champions League on Wednesday night.

David Beckham could make his return to the UEFA Champions League stage when Paris St Germain host Valencia with a place in the quarter-finals at stake on Wednesday night.

The former England captain is in line to play some part in the second leg of Paris St Germain's last-16 tie with Valencia - almost three years to the day since he was part of a Milan side beaten 4-0 at Manchester United.

And in an interview with Sky Sports Beckham, 37, insisted he still has plenty to contribute at elite level in Europe.

He said: "I might not be able to run as much as I used to when I was 21, but I'll try.

"I can still get around the pitch and still play the balls I play. My passion hasn't changed, my energy hasn't changed, the way i want to win a game hasn't changed, so it's pretty much the same."

Carlo Ancelotti's side lead 2-1 from the away leg in Spain, though a last-minute Adil Rami goal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's injury-time dismissal mean Valencia travel to France with some hope.

Ibrahimovic is banned for the second leg and PSG's next game, and Beckham said: "It makes it a little bit more difficult, but this team's definitely capable of progressing."



Beckham has started one game and made two substitute appearances in his short time in Paris, and Ancelotti said: "He's played well with no problems. He's arrived in the team with his quality, with his character."

Beckham eyes Champions League tilt

David Beckham is still to confirm his next move, but a team who can offer him Champions League football would turn his head.

Former England international Beckham will bring the curtain down on his LA Galaxy career in Saturday's MLS Cup final - live on ESPN. Given his profile and standing in the game, even at 37 he has teams jockeying for position to sign him.

Beckham has a Champions League winner's medal in his trophy cabinet from Manchester United's win in 1999 and has dined at the top table with Real Madrid and AC Milan.

It is a tournament he would like one final crack at, as he said: "I always loved it when I went back to AC Milan being back in the Champions League.

"I still miss playing in it, they are the games you love playing in. Of course I'd want to play in it again.



"We'll see where I go next. If it's a team that's in the Champions League then it will be nice to be back."

Beckham: I’d love to play for England again

David Beckham road show is moving on but do not think for a minute it is winding down.



After six seasons in the States, Becks plays his final game for the LA Galaxy in the MLS Cup Final against Houston Dynamo tomorrow.

But ask him, at the ripe old age of 37, if he’s thinking of retirement the answer is an unequivocal “No”. Becks has not even called time on his England career.

Clubs in mainland Europe, China, Australia, Brazil and England would still love to sign Becks. However, he appears to rule out a return to the Premier League with QPR or West Ham.

Faded glamour team Monaco have now jumped to the head of the queue as favourites even though they are currently in the second tier of French football.

They are top of the table and backed by a Russian billionaire and you would have to say a stint on the French Riviera sounds very in-keeping with “Brand Beckham”.

It would be particularly appealing to Becks’ wife Victoria and her fashion projects.

Meanwhile, Beckham is also in talks about finalising his dream of becoming an owner of an MLS franchise.

The result of that will, he revealed, be announced ‘soon’.

Becks said: “Retirement hasn’t even come into my head yet, to be honest.

“I feel great, physically good. I’ve scored seven goals, had nine assists and played in the majority of games and physically I do feel I can play on “I’m happy I’ve played in America for six years but now is the time to go and do something different.

“Everyone knows I’ve always enjoyed a challenge in my career and done pretty well with them.

“I feel I’ve got another one in me. “I’ve been discussing a franchise with my manager for the last six months.

“I’m in talks, I can’t say who with, but it’s an exciting project.

“I’m going to enjoy being an owner, It will be announced pretty soon we are going over small details.”

Beckham made the last of his 115 England appearances against Belarus at Wembley three years ago and accepts it is unlikely he will wear the white shirt again.

But he turned down the offer of a farewell cap from then England boss Fabio Capello and refuses to write of his international career completely — despite new manager Roy Hodgson building a future with younger players.

Beckham said: “I’ve not played for my country for quite a few years now.

“Would I like to? Of course. That’s why I’ve never come out and said I’ve retired from England because if there was any chance at any point that there was hardly any players fit then of course I would love to be playing for my country. Will it happen? I doubt it but you never know.”

The MLS invested around £22million in taking Becks to the MLS and the general consensus is that it has been money well spent.

Beckham’s aim was to increase awareness of the MLS and to be successful on the field — and he believes both have been achieved.

This is his third MLS Cup Final and Galaxy are aiming to retain the trophy at their very own Home Depot Center tomorrow.

He added: “On the field has been most important because I want to win trophies and championships.

“Off the field has become important because I want to leave a lasting legacy — and a league that’s in a great position to push forward to challenge to be one of the big leagues.

“I’m happy with what I’ve done getting to three finals in six years, winning one and hopefully winning another one.

“I’ve seen six new stadiums built, there are six new teams, and attendances have been in the top three in US sports “Also Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane and Tim Cahill coming over is great for the game.

“The biggest thing is that people are talking about it in Europe now. Going back to England they talk about the Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls and Seattle.”

Beckham insists the move was not about money even if there are those who refuse to believe him.

He asked: “Do people still question my motives?” he asked.

“My career has never been about the money. Wherever I’ve gone in my career I played the sport because I love it. It was never about the money and never will be.

“I’m excited to be in another final. The emotions will come out and the realisation it’s my last game for the Galaxy.

“But to be in a final at our own stadium in front of our own fans is kind of a nice way to go out.”




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Zlatan urges Beckham to snub QPR for PSG

David Beckham should forget about a return to the Premier League with QPR and sign for Paris Saint-Germain, according to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.



Former England captain Beckham will play his final game in Major League Soccer when LA Galaxy face Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup final on December 1, after which he is on the lookout for "one final challenge".



Moves to the Australian A-League and links with West Ham and now QPR, following the appointment of Harry Redknapp as manager, have been suggested as possible destinations for the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder, but Ibrahimovic believes Beckham would serve the French side's ambitious project well.



"I am sure there will be many offers for him from clubs all over the world, but it is a very exciting project here in Paris and if he still wants more trophies then this is the right club for him to join," Ibrahimovic said.



"We can win the Champions League over the next two seasons with the team that is being built."



Redknapp has also expressed his interest in bringing Beckham to Loftus Road, having invited him to train with Tottenham during the MLS off-season in January 2011.



"I worked with him at Tottenham when he came to train and he is top drawer. He was great," Redknapp said. "He's a top class professional and would be great to have around the place.



"He can set a fantastic example in terms of his approach to training, everything. He's not just a great player, but a great guy as well."

David and Victoria eyes back to England

David and Victoria Beckham are set to move back to the UK by the end of the year – and may be planning a fifth baby.

The A list couple have been looking at multi-million pound houses in West London and discussing a possible departure from Los Angeles when the footballer's deal with LA Galaxy finishes later this year.

After spending the summer in the UK where Beckham, 37, helped to launch the London Olympics by speeding down the Thames, the couple are believed to be keen to move back home and expand their brood.

A source told Mail Online: ‘Victoria is being very quiet about things. But she had never made it a secret that she didn’t see why she would stop after baby number four.



‘She loves having a big family and David has always said he would be thrilled if they had another child’.

Mrs Beckham is believed to have sparked a pregnancy riddle earlier this summer when she was in London – reuniting with Melanie Brown, Meanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton at the Olympics closing ceremony.

An insider told Heat magazine this week that the ever-slender brunette was ‘talking about having some strange food fads and she didn't drink at all, not even to celebrate after performing at the Olympics.’

This led to some of her friends asking outright if she was pregnant and ‘she just smiled in response.’

The couple fulfilled their dream of having a little girl following the birth of baby Harper in July last year.

And the former Spice Girl, 38, said recently: ‘I’d never say never about another baby’, as her husband added: ‘We’ve always said we’d love a big family and five was a number. If we’re lucky enough, they we hope to have one more.’

The Beckhams moved to Los Angeles in 2007, where they have been happily ensconced with sons Brooklyn, 13, Romeo, 10, Cruz, seven. Harper, now 15 months, is in fact an American citizen as she was born in LA.



During the Olympics, Beckham and his boys were high profile guests and seen enjoying events ranging from Tom Daley’s bronze-winning dive, to athletics and beach volleyball.

The source added: ‘David and Victoria love America, they love what it has given them, but the boys loved being back in England and now could be the time to make a return.

‘They have been looking at houses over the past few months and the future is exciting as anything could happen.

‘The thing they are most concerned about is giving the children stability. What is nice about being back in the UK is that they would be close to both their families again.

‘It’s early days, but these are plans that are being mooted.



'Victoria and David would love the children to spend their formative years in school back in Europe.'

It was reported earlier this year that the Beckhams are putting their Hertfordshire home, nicknamed Beckingham Palace, up for sale, and it has been valued at £18 million.



The Beckhams were linked with a move to Paris last year as former Manchester United star Becks was offered a huge €4.5 million, 18-month deal with top club Paris St Germain.

However, Mrs Beckham– who now runs a successful fashion brand - felt the family would be better off staying in Los Angeles, where the boys were happy in school, and Beckham eventually agreed to a one-year extension deal with LA Galaxy.

in January, PSG sporting director Leonardo said: 'It's over a shame. But the welfare of his family in Los Angeles, the wish not to change everything in his life, weighed heavily.



Mrs Beckham has spoken of the toll new motherhood and the stress of planning her Autumn/Winter 2012 collection for New York fashion week had taken on her.



In an emotional interview with the Sunday Mirror earlier this year, she admitted she was exhausted, revealing: 'Look, if people want to say I’m miserable then so be it. I’m really not. I have a lot on my plate.

She added: 'I’m not going to lie about it, I’m tired. I’m really tired but I’m also very happy with my life. I’m basically just like any woman who’s working and has lots of children – it’s tough.'

'I’m not getting much sleep at all, she says. Harper’s not sleeping that great, and I’ve been taking Skype business calls throughout the night too because of the collections.

‘I’m up with the baby as all mums are and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s not a team of people doing it for me.’

Mrs Beckham's office is in London and she told of her late-night phone calls to her team, adding: ‘I’m spending ludicrous amounts of time in my dressing gown on Skype talking to my team about the clothes.'



Beckham meanwhile, now faces the challenge of retiring from professional football and what to do next.

He has already ruled out coaching and management, saying: ‘I must admit it's something I've never been interested in. It's not a passion of mine to be a manager of a football team. I'm passionate about the game and being there…

‘I love coaching kids - that's one of the reasons I have my academies - the children, I love seeing their faces when they're kicking the ball around.



‘I love the enthusiasm, the honesty - that's one of the things I love doing. But coaching a team, being a manager, at this point in my career I don't want to do that and in the future I don't think that will happen either.’

When asked about pregnancy rumours, a spokeswoman for Mrs Beckham said: ‘She’s not pregnant as far as I know.’

Beckham back on action forLa Galaxy

Los Angeles Galaxy star midfielder David Beckham is back in training for the Major League Soccer club after a sprained left ankle and hopes to play in Sunday's game at Colorado.



The English midfielder has not played for the defending MLS champions since injuring his ankle in a 2-0 victory over Vancouver on 1 September. The Galaxy have already clinched a berth in November's MLS championship play-offs.

"It's better," Beckham said of his injury. "Still a little bit of discomfort but it's good to be back on the field. Trying to get my fitness back. Hopefully I can get out on the field and stay fit this week and be involved."

Beckham, 37, has scored seven goals, the best total of his MLS career, and has set up nine others in 21 games this season for the Galaxy, 15 wins and 11 losses, with four draws.



"This injury came at a tough time for me," Beckham said. "I was enjoying playing, scoring goals, and that was a disappointing moment. But I'm back and hopefully I can get my fitness back and be back out there."

The Galaxy, with five wins and a draw in the past six starts, must now adjust to having Beckham back in the lineup. "It's good to see him back on the field," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said.