LONDON, Aug. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With the 2014-15 European football season kicking off, Wealth-X today released a list of the 10 wealthiest players in the European football leagues. The 10 footballers on the list are collectively worth more than US$1 billion, and predominantly represent clubs in Spain, France and the United Kingdom.

With an estimated net worth of US$230 million, Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is the wealthiest footballer in Europe - and the world. The 29-year-old Portuguese forward for the Spanish club is the world's most expensive footballer, costing US$132 million when he was transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009. Ronaldo's personal fortune accounts for nearly a quarter of the total net worth of the 10 footballers on the list.

Lionel Messi takes second spot on the list and is the richest non-European footballer playing in the continent. The Argentine forward, who plays for FC Barcelona, is worth an estimated US$180 million.

Other non-Europeans on the Wealth-X list are Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure from Ivory Coast (worth US$90 million and US$70 million respectively) and Samuel Eto'o from Cameroon (worth US$75 million).

Three British footballers playing for clubs in the English Premier League appear on the Wealth-X list. The richest British player is Manchester United forward and captain Wayne Rooney, who ranks fourth on the list with a personal fortune of US$95 million. Frank Lampard, who now wears a Manchester City jersey (and is worth US$60 million) and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard (with a net worth of US$55) also made the list.

Below are the top 5 wealthiest footballers playing in the European leagues:

Download the complete list at http://www.wealthx.com/articles/2014/wealth-x-reveals-the-top-10-richest-footballers-in-europe

About Wealth-X
Wealth-X is the world's leading ultra high net worth (UHNW) intelligence and prospecting firm with the largest collection of curated research on UHNW individuals, defined as those with net assets of US$30 million and above. Headquartered in Singapore, it has 13 offices on five continents. (www.wealthx.com)

SOURCE Wealth-X