LONDON (Reuters) - The departure of six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi from Barcelona has confirmed what many fans have feared for years - star player wages are now so stratospheric that they risk bankrupting even the grandest clubs.

The charts below show some of the mind-boggling numbers involved in the world's richest leagues, where the financial strains are most acute, and how COVID-19 has compounded the problems.