Mario Balotelli, the 23-year-old striker who will lead Italy into the 2014 World Cup, has been one of the great joys of following soccer in recent years.
He has provided moments of pure genius on the field, and moments of pure entertainment off of it.
Whether it's burning down his bathroom with a firework, camouflaging his Bentley, or holding a private audience with the Pope, Balotelli never seems to be too far from the gossip pages.
He's also a big spender, with a bunch of cars and a life-sized statue of himself.
He makes ~$7 million per year in salary at AC Milan.
Source: The Guardian
He also makes big money off the field with an endorsement deal with Puma.
He wore cleats covered in his own newspaper headlines when Nike, Adidas, and Puma were all bidding for his signature in 2013.
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