In 1979 Trevor Francis became the first British footballer to command a £1 million transfer fee when he moved from
Trevor John Francis (born 19 April 1954) is an English former footballer who played as a forward for a number of clubs in England, the United States, Italy, Scotland and Australia. In 1979 he became Britain's first £1 million player following his transfer from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest.
It was only in 1992 that Jean-Pierre Papin became the first player to move for a fee in excess of £10 million. Just two decades later, we are talking about a figure of 10 times that magnitude.
John Charles became the first player from Britain to command a fee of £50,000 when he joined Juventus in 1957, and four years later Denis Law joined Torino in the first £100,000 transaction involving a British club. The 1970s saw a rapid increase in transfer fees.
Sol Campbell becomes the first £100,000- a-week player following his Bosman free transfer from Tottenham to Arsenal.
In 1979 Trevor Francis became the first British footballer to command a £1 million transfer fee when he moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest.
Cristiano Ronaldo has a new record to add to his ever-growing list of accolades. The Portuguese star is now the first soccer player in history to crack $1 billion in career earnings.
Cristiano Ronaldo (117 million)
In 2009, Real Madrid landed him from Manchester United for 96 million, an outlay that no club had ever made before.
Real Madrid broke the all-time transfer record in 2009 when it paid Manchester United $126 million for Cristiano Ronaldo. It proved to be a worthy investment, as Ronaldo went on to win four Champions League titles, two La Liga titles and four domestic cups in nine years as Real Madrid's star forward.
Pelé was the 1st footballer in history to score 1,000 goals. Brazil's Pelé became the first man to score 1,000 goals in competitive football in November 1969 after converting a penalty for Santos against Vasco da Gama in Rio.
On February 14, 1905, Middlesbrough sparked huge excitement – and outrage – as they made Sunderland forward Alf Common the world's first £1,000 footballer. The news, reported first in the windows of The Northern Echo offices in Middlesbrough, was pure scandal.
Erling Haaland is reportedly set to handed a £500,000-a-WEEK deal by Manchester City as they look to end Real Madrid's pursuit of the striker. The 22-year-old has been Europe's standout player this season having banged in 42 goals in all competitions from just 37 matches.
MOST FOOTBALL TRIVIA BUFFS AND HISTORIANS you ask will tell you that the transfer of Trevor Francis to Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest in 1979 was the first million pound deal in football.
Paul Pogba becomes the first £100m footballer... but who was the first £1m player? Sportsmail charts the rise of the world transfer record. As Manchester United get ready to smash the world transfer record for Paul Pogba, the French star is set to become the first £100m footballer in the history of the game.
Lionel Messi is the holder of the title 'King of football.' He is best known for his dribbling skills, tricks on the field, impossible goals, and never-ending determination to win the game.
Who is the richest football player in the world right now? Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo is the richest footballer player in the world right now after signing a contract with Saudi Arabia-based club Al Nassr which will see him pocket €200 million a year from his club alone.
1 – Virgil van Dijk
Van Dijk cost £75m, £21m more than the world's next most expensive defender.
One of the greatest ever to grace the sport, Lionel Messi has made a massive impact on any team he has donned the jersey for and his dribbling skill is the major reason for it. Whether playing for the Argentina national football team or Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Messi produces brilliance in every match.
Lionel Messi
He has notched seven Ballon d'Or awards, two of The Best FIFA Men's Player Awards, one FIFA World Player of the Year and six European Golden Shoes. He is the only player in football history to have won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball on two occasions - 2014 and 2022.
Flamini and Granata are believed to have become billionaires thanks to their business ventures. They have amassed fortunes that dwarf those of the world's most elite footballers.
Barcelona star Lionel Messi has become football's second billionaire. After Cristiano Ronaldo previously achieved the feat, Messi has now earned $1billion in pre-tax earnings during his career, as reported by Forbes.
Michael Jordan was the first athlete-billionaire — here's how he makes and spends his millions. Michael Jordan turns 60 this year. From secret golf courses and sprawling houses to custom planes, Jordan is clearly enjoying life after hoops. Michael Jordan is considered the greatest NBA player of all time.