[letmein]

Move over, David Beckham, there's a new money-spinner atop the soccer charts.

According to France Football, one of the world's oldest and most respected soccer magazines, FC Barcelona and Argentina national team star Lionel Messi is now the highest paid player in the game.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, the two-time World Player of the Year, brought home 31 million from his salary and publicity deals in 2011, just ahead of Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo (27.5 million) and Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (20.7 million).

Real Madrid manager Mourinho topped the manager's rich list with an income of 13.5 million, ahead of Barcelona's Pep Guardiola (10.5 million) and former Inter Milan coach Rafael Benitez (10.2 million). England manager Fabio Capello came fourth with the Italian receiving a salary of 8.5 million.

The English Premier League appears the most lucrative league of all with seven representatives in the top 20 list of highest paid players.

Two former Premier League stars, David Beckham ranked 5th with 19 million and Thierry Henry, now playing in the MLS in the United States, ranked 11 th with 13.6 million.

The rest of France Football's top 10 money makers are Kaka (Real Madrid),, Ronaldinho (Flamengo), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Satan Ibrahimobitch (AC Milan), Frank Lampard (Chelsea) and Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan).

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...cernet&cc=5901