Barcelona's Lionel Messi has deposed David Beckham to top France Football's list of the highest-paid players. The Argentina forward is said to have made $44 million last year. Beckham, who has been first or second in each of the last nine years, took home $40.5 million in 2009, according to the report. Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo was third with $40 million, while teammate Kaka was a distant fourth with $25 million. Thierry Henry was fifth with $24 million. France Football, which has ranked the best-paid players since 1999, calculated the figures based on salary and endorsements.
