 According to France Football, Messi was the world's highest-paid footballer for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014; he was the first player to exceed the € 40 million benchmark, with earnings of € 41 million in 2013, and the € 50 – € 60 million points, with income of € 65 million in 2014. In 2016, Messi was second on Forbes list of the world's highest-paid athletes (after Cristiano Ronaldo) with income of $ 81.4 million from his salary and endorsements in 2015 – 16. Since 2008, he has been Barcelona's highest-paid player, receiving a salary that increased incrementally from € 7.8 million to € 13 million over the next five years. His current salary of € 20 million net (€ 36 million before taxes), established in 2014, is the highest ever in the sport. In addition to his salary and multimillion-euro bonuses, much of his income derives from endorsements; SportsPro has consequently cited him as one of the world's most marketable athletes every year since their research began in 2010. His main sponsor since 2006 is the sportswear company Adidas. As Barça's leading youth prospect, he had been signed with Nike since age 14, but transferred to Adidas after they successfully challenged their rival's claim to his image rights in court. Over time, Messi established himself as their leading brand endorser; from 2008, he had a long-running signature collection of Adidas F50 boots, and in 2015, he became the first footballer to receive his own sub-brand of boots, the Adidas Messi.
