Reuters Soccer Blog

Franck Ribery will likely choose Spain if he decides to leave Bayern Munich, we learned from a Sport Bild interview this morning, and I guess few people reading another of today’s big football stories, this time in France Football, would blame him.

While the Frenchman highlights the nice weather as the motivating factor behind his “tendency” towards Spain, others in his position might be swayed by the following list of the game’s top earning footballers:

1. Lionel Messi €33 million
2. David Beckham €30.4m
3. Cristiano Ronaldo €30m
4. Kaka €18.8m
5. Thierry Henry €18m
6. Ronaldinho €17.2m
7. Carlos Tevez €15.4m
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic €14.5m
9. Frank Lampard €14.2m
10. Samuel Eto’o €13.8m

Of the top 10, only two have not played in La Liga at some point in their careers, while five of them are there right now. Top of the list is Lionel Messi, who has overtaken David Beckham and the Argentine magician looks likely to maintain the position for a while, given the adulation flowing his way.

Ribery has the talent to be ranked among the 10 best footballers but playing for Bayern Munich he is unlikely to make it on to the rich list.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are among a handful of clubs who could get him there and when you factor in the weather and the chance to play against and alongside the best in the world it’s a no-brainer, isn’t it? 

PHOTO: Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery folds a blanket as he arrives on the bench for the Bundesliga match away to Cologne, March 6, 2010. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender