Lionel Messi joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 and earned a world record 34 trophies with the club, including 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, and four UEFA Champions Leagues. But the 34-year-old became a free agent after his contract with Barca expired on 30 June 2021.

Football mega star Lionel Messi is set to sign a new five-year contract with his club of 21 years – Barcelona. He has agreed to take a significant 50 percent salary cut, according to the terms agreed upon between the Argentine and the Catalan giants, multiple media reports said on Wednesday.

But after the La Liga side slashed his wage bill by 50 percent, will he still be the top-earning footballer on the planet?

Earlier, Messi had a 4-year deal at Camp Nou, which saw him earn over $650 million and approximately $150 million per annum, making him the highest-paid footballer in the world.

Messi's previous contract with Barcelona is also believed to be the biggest deal in any sport, let alone in football.

However, the Argentine, who earned a staggering $2.9 million every week from 2016-2021, will now earn a little over half of what he earned during his last deal with Barcelona.

Although the 50 percent wage cut will make a significant impact on what Messi earns in a week, he will still be the highest-paid footballer in the world because his previous salary at Barcelona was more than double of what Cristiano Ronaldo earned at Juventus.