Messi earns the highest
Lionel Messi made $71 million (€65 million) in total earnings in 2014, making him the highest-paid soccer player in the world according to a France Football report (via ESPNFC.com).
Messi's total earnings include $31 million (€28 million) in endorsements, including deals with Turkish Airlines and EA Sports, and $39 million (€36 million) in salary with FC Barcelona in Spain's La Liga.
The salary makes Messi the highest-paid athlete in team sports based on salary alone.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi's rival with Real Madrid, is the second-highest-paid soccer player with total earnings of $59 million (€54 million).
squad features the likes of Athletic Bilbao defender Mikel San Jose, Sevilla winger Vitolo and Malaga forward Juanmi, who replaces the injured Diego Costa.
"Being called up is already a success. But I want to make my debut," said winger Vitolo, a native of Gran Canaria who is proving a big hit with Sevilla this season.
"The Sanchez Pizjuan is my home and it would be great to make my debut there, in front of my fans."
With the top two in each group qualifying automatically for next year's finals in France, Spain and Ukraine are level on nine points in Group C, three points behind leaders Slovakia, who host Luxembourg.
Meanwhile, England are chasing a fifth win from five matches in Group E when they entertain Lithuania at Wembley.
It may not be the kind of fixture that would usually whip up great excitement among the masses, but a crowd of 90,000 is expected to see Tottenham Hotspur hotshot Harry Kane potentially make his England bow.
"It's fantastic, what he has done," England manager Roy Hodgson said of 21-year-old Kane, who has scored 29 goals this season and could feature in the absence due to injury of Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge.
"It's very tough for a young player to come into a top team like Tottenham with demands and expectations, and to shoulder aside people like (Emmanuel) Adebayor and (Roberto) Soldado and make the place your own, and then not just to play well and keep your place but score a lot of goals -- that is some achievement.
“I am delighted for him. If he gets his chance to play in these games, I am sure he won't let anyone down."
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