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Cristiano Ronaldo is Italian league's top earner, gets $34 million salary

Juventus has 9 of the top 10 highest-earning players, with Lukaku the only exception

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (L) vies with Lithuania's Mantas Kuklys during the UEFA Euro 2020 Group B qualification football match Lithuania v Portugal in Vilnius, Lithuania | AFP

Portuguese star striker Cristiano Ronaldo earns over three times more than any other player in the Serie A, Italy's premier football league, a news report said on Tuesday.

According to the La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ronaldo, who plays for Juventus in the Serie A, earns approximately $34 million per year. Ronaldo's pay cheque is almost $25 million more than the next highest earner in the Serie A, Matthijs de Ligt of the Netherlands. De Ligt also plays for Juventus. Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku is the third-highest earner in the Serie A, netting about $8.3 million.

Juventus dominates the list of highest-earning players in the Serie A, accounting for nine of the top 10 highest-earning players, with Lukaku the only exception. Juventus have won the last eight Serie A titles and have already commenced the 2019-20 season with wins against Parma and Napoli.

Juventus signed Ronaldo in 2018 for euro 99 million after his stay with Real Madrid.

While Ronaldo is far ahead of the Serie A pack in pay, he is still in second place in the global list of highest earners in soccer in 2019. According to France Football magazine, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi takes home about $144 million (including salary, bonuses and advertising), with Ronaldo netting about $125 million.