Unfamiliar Argentinine midfielder Dario Conca was once the third highest paid player in world football. At that time only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi earning more than the Argentine attacking midfielder.
In 2011, Conca played for Brazilian club Fluminense and played a key role in helping the team win their first Brazilian championship since 1984. He was named the best player in Brazil’s Serie A in 2009 and 2010. As a result of his performances many clubs around the world were interested in adding Conca to their squads.
But the midfielder rejected a move to a big European club. Instead, he signed a big-money deal for Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande. The Chinese club gave him a then-record $10 million. Conca signed a two-and-a-half-year deal, earning £170,000-a-week. He is ranked as the third highest paid player in the world. Only Messi and Ronaldo earned more than him at that time, when Messi and Ronaldo were playing for Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.
During his time with Guangzhou, he helped the team win three consecutive Chinese Super League titles and the AFC Champions League. He then left China to return to Fluminense, where his wages plummeted from £170,000-a-week to £8,000-a-week. Conca was taken back to China when Shanghai SIPG signed Sven Goren Eriksson as coach. In 2019, at the age of 36, Conca announced his retirement from football. His earnings were in excess of £50m throughout his career despite zero caps for Argentina.
