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How Much Do Professional Footballers Get Paid

Julian Sterling
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how much do professional footballers get paid

Money in football has always been a controversial subject. Do footballers get paid too much in relation to other occupations that are, arguably, more important in society? Of course, it's not the footballers' fault themselves. If they're offered crazy wages, they're not exactly going to turn it down and are entitled to attempt to earn as much money as possible during their relatively short careers. But following the boom of the sport in Saudi Arabia, the wages we're currently witnessing have truly spiralled out of control.

It's now almost inconceivable how much money footballers are actually earning. With that in mind, who are the 10 highest-paid players in world football right now? It's often hard to pinpoint exactly how much footballers are being paid because contracts come in all shapes and sizes and include various bonuses, revenue shares and clauses.

But to give a more well-rounded account of just how lavishly the top footballers live in 2025, on-field and off-field income have been reviewed by Sportico - the amount they're paid each year from their club in question, alongside sponsorships and brand deals have been analysed. Some figures may give you quite a shock. Strap in, grab your popcorn and, without further ado, let’s get stuck in.

13 Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) £28.4 million per year Robert Lewandowski is arguably Poland's greatest ever player, having played a key part in their recent footballing success as the country's all-time top scorer. He's been prolific throughout his career, whether it's been for Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich or Barcelona. His salary at the Camp Nou makes up the vast majority of his earnings, but the Polish striker is still earning nearly half that amount through off-field sponsorships.

Now 37-years-old, it remains to be seen whether he'll have the chance to earn any more from his current career. 12 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) £29.5 million per year Raking in a cool £567,307 every seven days is Jude Bellingham. Arguably England’s most influential midfielder alongside Declan Rice, the 22-year-old has cemented his status as one of the world’s best since becoming the creative heartbeat of Real Madrid following his move from Borussia Dortmund.

Although questions have been raised about his attitude - most notably when he was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s international squad - he remains a highly marketable figure, attracting numerous brand deals. Should he continue winning trophies and manage to iron out his temperament, his weekly earnings are only likely to rise even further, and the sky probably isn't his limit. 11 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) £32.2 million per year Being England captain and the face of football for the Three Lions certainly has it's benefits.

But Harry Kane has got a record to boot too. The all-time top scorer for the Three Lions was prolific while at Tottenham, finding the back of the net 213 times in the Premier League alone. And he's carried that form over to Bayern Munich, helping the Bavarians win another Bundesliga title, the first of his career. Consequently, Kane is handsomely paid for his efforts, with just a few players in Europe's top five leagues earning more than the English forward.

His off-field earnings are also worth in the region of £9m, helping his yearly pay make for impressive reading. 10 Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr) £37.3 million per year In 2014, Sadio Mane arrived in the Premier League when Southampton signed him from Red Bull Salzburg, and it didn’t take long for the winger to show off his incredible talent, scoring 25 goals in two seasons, including the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history.

He joined Liverpool in 2016 for a fee worth £34 million - and it proved to be an incredible piece of business for the club. Mane went on to become one of the best and most exciting attackers in world football, ending his Liverpool career with 120 goals in 269 appearances. He helped the club become the best in Europe, reaching three Champions League finals and winning one of them.

10 Greatest Senegal Players in Football History [Ranked] From modern greats, to legends from yesteryear - Senegal's footballing tale is rich with talent. In 2022, he joined Bayern Munich, but the move didn’t exactly go to plan. Injuries and teammate disagreements plagued his career in Bavaria, and he was allowed to leave after just 12 months. Al-Nassr capitalised and announced the signing of Mane on a huge contract in 2023, one that sees him earn £34 million on a yearly basis alongside his bonuses.

9 Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli) £39.9 million per year Although Riyad Mahrez was paid handsomely while at the Etihad with Manchester City, things have gone to another level now since his move to the Saudi Pro League side. Al-Ahli spent big to sign him, handing him an impressive contract which runs until 2027. Although the Algerian is only earning just over £1m in endorsement deals, his salary alone is enough to put him inside the top 10. Averaging roughly ...

every week, it remains to be seen if he'll manage to extend his deal considering that he is now 34-years-old. 8 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) £40.3 million per year Mohamed Salah's star power shines beyond the Premier League, reaching across North Africa and the Middle East, making him highly sought after by brands in the region. He has partnered with major companies like Vodafone, Mountain View Egypt, Pepsi, and Adidas, among others, and commands a massive following of nearly 100 million across Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

The immensely talented right-winger has been a talismanic figure for the Reds in recent years, claiming a Champions League crown, Premier League title, FA Cup, two League Cups, FIFA Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup during his time at Anfield. Last season, he won his second Premier League title, becoming the first player to win that, alongside the Golden Boot, Playmaker Award, and PFA Player of the Year.

His salary reflects royalty, and rightly so for one of the greatest players in Liverpool's illustrious history, after having signed a two-year extension at the end of the 2024/25 campaign. 7 Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) £43.2 million per year Vinicius Junior has been with Real Madrid since he was 18, and in that time he has become an electric scorer, netting 112 goals in 350 matches in all competitions with the club. He has also become an extremely marketable figure, immensely popular in Latin America.

The Brazilian has multiple brand deals—including Sony’s PlayStation, Pepsi and Clear shampoo - supplementing an on-field contract he quietly signed in 2023 that ties him to Los Blancos until 2027. Whether he remains at the Santiago Bernabeu is still to be seen though, with him telling the club he was reluctant to extend his stay with Xabi Alonso at the club. Contract talks haven't progressed, although the Spanish manager is now gone, but Saudi Arabian clubs are lurking should Vini wish to sign a mammoth deal in the future.

6 Neymar (Santos) £44.7 million per year Neymar, at one point, was one of the best paid players in the world on weekly salary alone. While at Paris Saint-Germain, the Brazilian was pocketing around £48m a year, but he's since moved on to the riches of the Saudi Pro League and, ultimately, back to his boyhood club Santos. Even after returning to his home country, Neymar continues to rake money in, earning around £30m in winnings and salary alone throughout 2025.

Add to that his £15m in endorsements and sponsorships with the likes of Puma and Red Bull, and he's certainly earned a mean sum throughout his career. 5 Erling Haaland (Manchester City) £58.1 million per year Erling Haaland has to go down as one of the best strikers in world football for one reason. He's the best at putting the ball in the back of the opponent's net. The Norwegian has set the world alight ever since he graced the Premier League with his presence.

He smashed the goalscoring record for a single season, scoring 36 times in only 35 appearances during his debut campaign in the competition. This frightening feat has continued ever since, with Haaland shattering records time with ease and continuing to be a defender's worst nightmare in 2025. For that reason alone, he's fully deserving of his £58m annual take home. But while his off-field bursaries are still relatively small compared to other players, this is certainly bound to change for the Premier League's highest earner.

4 Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) £71 million per year Kylian Mbappe burst onto the scene at Monaco during the 2016/17 season as a youngster, scoring 26 goals as a teenager. It led to Paris Saint-Germain loaning the striker ahead of a permanent deal worth €145 million plus €35 million in add-ons. The striker had been at the Parc des Princes for six seasons but completed his inevitable move to Real Madrid in 2024 after scoring 212 goals in 260 appearances in all competitions for the French giants.

In 2023, following Mbappe expressing his desire not to renew his existing contract with PSG, the club accepted a €300m bid from Al-Hilal, who reportedly were prepared to offer him an eye-watering €200m-a-year salary. However, Mbappe rejected the deal. Now plying his trade for the Champions League greats, Paris-born Mbappe is the Spanish top division's second-highest earner. In turn, the talismanic Frenchman will earn a whopping £52m every year for the entirety of his five-year contract, while off-field riches boost that sum up to £71m every 12 months.

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How Much Do Professional Footballers Get Paid?

It's now almost inconceivable how much money footballers are actually earning. With that in mind, who are the 10 highest-paid players in world football right now? It's often hard to pinpoint exactly how much footballers are being paid because contracts come in all shapes and sizes and include various bonuses, revenue shares and clauses.

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But to give a more well-rounded account of just how lavishly the top footballers live in 2025, on-field and off-field income have been reviewed by Sportico - the amount they're paid each year from their club in question, alongside sponsorships and brand deals have been analysed. Some figures may give you quite a shock. Strap in, grab your popcorn and, without further ado, let’s get stuck in.

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But Harry Kane has got a record to boot too. The all-time top scorer for the Three Lions was prolific while at Tottenham, finding the back of the net 213 times in the Premier League alone. And he's carried that form over to Bayern Munich, helping the Bavarians win another Bundesliga title, the first of his career. Consequently, Kane is handsomely paid for his efforts, with just a few players in Eu...

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It's now almost inconceivable how much money footballers are actually earning. With that in mind, who are the 10 highest-paid players in world football right now? It's often hard to pinpoint exactly how much footballers are being paid because contracts come in all shapes and sizes and include various bonuses, revenue shares and clauses.

15 highest-paid footballers in the world 2024 | Square Mile?

It's now almost inconceivable how much money footballers are actually earning. With that in mind, who are the 10 highest-paid players in world football right now? It's often hard to pinpoint exactly how much footballers are being paid because contracts come in all shapes and sizes and include various bonuses, revenue shares and clauses.