If a footballer wants both sporting success, high competition, and a lucrative salary, they typically need to choose one of Europe’s top five leagues. The level of competition in these leagues is significantly higher than in the United States, Saudi Arabia, or Asia, and salaries tend to reflect this.
We’ve taken a closer look at the salaries of the 10 highest-paid players in each of Europe’s top five leagues.
Serie A
We start with Serie A, a league that has always been one of the best but has seen a slight decline in recent years. However, Italian clubs are making a comeback, and salaries in Italy are certainly not low. Here’s the list of the 10 highest-paid players in Serie A.
10. Romelu Lukaku – €7,690,000 P/Y
Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku takes the 10th spot with an annual salary of €7,690,000.
9. Piotr Zieliński – €8,330,000 P/Y
Napoli midfielder Piotr Zieliński earns €8,330,000 per year, placing him in 9th position.
8. Douglas Luiz – €8,330,000 P/Y
Douglas Luiz shares the 8th spot with Zieliński, earning €8,330,000 annually.
7. Álvaro Morata – €8,330,000 P/Y
Atlético Madrid loanee Álvaro Morata, currently in Serie A, also earns €8,330,000 per year, tying for 7th.
6. Bremer – €9,260,000 P/Y
Juventus defender Bremer ranks 6th with an annual salary of €9,260,000.
5. Alessandro Bastoni – €10,190,000 P/Y
Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni takes the 5th spot, earning €10,190,000 per year.
4. Hakan Çalhanoğlu – €11,110,000 P/Y
Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu earns €11,110,000 annually, placing him 4th on the list.
3. Nicolò Barella – €12,040,000 P/Y
Inter Milan’s Nicolò Barella takes the 3rd position with an annual salary of €12,040,000.
2. Lautaro Martínez – €16,670,000 P/Y
Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martínez earns €16,670,000 per year, securing the 2nd spot.
1. Dušan Vlahović – €22,220,000 P/Y
Juventus forward Dušan Vlahović tops the list with an impressive annual salary of €22,220,000.
Ligue 1
The French Ligue 1 has historically not been known for its high salaries, but things started to change significantly after PSG gained new ownership. Here are the 10 highest-paid players in Ligue 1.
10. João Neves – €9,090,000 P/Y
João Neves earns €9,090,000 annually, placing him in 10th position.
9. Fabián Ruiz – €9,090,000 P/Y
Tied with João Neves, Fabián Ruiz also earns €9,090,000 per year.
8. Gianluigi Donnarumma – €12,730,000 P/Y
Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma ranks 8th with an annual salary of €12,730,000.
7. Marco Asensio – €14,550,000 P/Y
Marco Asensio earns €14,550,000 per year, placing him 7th on the list.
6. Achraf Hakimi – €14,550,000 P/Y
Tied with Asensio is Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi, also earning €14,550,000 annually.
5. Milan Škriniar – €16,360,000 P/Y
Paris Saint-Germain defender Milan Škriniar earns €16,360,000 per year, placing him in 5th position.
4. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – €16,360,000 P/Y
Tied with Škriniar, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also earns €16,360,000 annually.
3. Marquinhos – €16,800,000 P/Y
Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos ranks 3rd with an annual salary of €16,800,000.
2. Lucas Hernández – €19,000,000 P/Y
Paris Saint-Germain defender Lucas Hernández earns €19,000,000 per year, securing 2nd place.
1. Ousmane Dembélé – €20,000,000 P/Y
At the top of the list is Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé, with an annual salary of €20,000,000.
La Liga
La Liga is home to some of the best players in world football, with top clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona dominating the league. Below is a ranking of the 10 highest-paid players in La Liga.
10. Antonio Rüdiger – €14,580,000 P/Y
Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger earns an annual salary of €14,580,000, placing him 10th on the list.
9. Thibaut Courtois – €15,000,000 P/Y
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois secures the 9th spot with a yearly income of €15,000,000.
8. Federico Valverde – €16,670,000 P/Y
Midfielder Federico Valverde, also from Real Madrid, ranks 8th with an annual salary of €16,670,000.
7. Frenkie de Jong – €19,000,000 P/Y
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong takes the 7th spot with an annual salary of €19,000,000.
6. Jan Oblak – €20,830,000 P/Y
Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak earns €20,830,000 per year, tying for the 5th spot.
5. Jude Bellingham – €20,830,000 P/Y
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham also earns €20,830,000 annually, sharing the 5th position.
4. Vinícius Júnior – €20,830,000 P/Y
Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior of Real Madrid joins the tie for 5th place, with a salary of €20,830,000 per year.
3. David Alaba – €22,500,000 P/Y
Real Madrid defender David Alaba takes the 3rd position with an annual income of €22,500,000.
2. Kylian Mbappé – €31,250,000 P/Y
French star Kylian Mbappé ranks 2nd in La Liga with an annual salary of €31,250,000.
1. Robert Lewandowski – €33,330,000 P/Y
At the top of the list is Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, who earns €33,330,000 per year, making him the highest-paid player in La Liga.
Bundesliga
The German Bundesliga has always been among the top leagues in the world, and in recent years, it has also started attracting some of the biggest stars. Take English striker Harry Kane, for example, who swapped the Premier League for the Bundesliga.
Here are the 10 highest-paid players in the German Bundesliga.
10. Min-jae Kim – €12,000,000 P/Y
South Korean defender Min-jae Kim takes the 10th spot with an annual salary of €12,000,000.
9. Leon Goretzka – €13,000,000 P/Y
Leon Goretzka of Bayern Munich secures 9th place, earning €13,000,000 per year.
8. Michael Olise – €13,500,000 P/Y
Michael Olise earns €13,500,000 annually, placing him 8th on the list.
7. Leroy Sané – €15,000,000 P/Y
Leroy Sané comes in at 7th place, earning €15,000,000 per year at Bayern Munich.
6. Kingsley Coman – €17,000,000 P/Y
Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman takes the 6th spot with an annual salary of €17,000,000.
5. Serge Gnabry – €18,870,000 P/Y
Serge Gnabry ranks 5th with a yearly income of €18,870,000, representing Bayern Munich.
4. Joshua Kimmich – €19,500,000 P/Y
Midfield maestro Joshua Kimmich claims the 4th spot with an annual salary of €19,500,000.
3. Thomas Müller – €20,500,000 P/Y
In 3rd place is Bayern Munich veteran Thomas Müller, earning €20,500,000 per year.
2. Manuel Neuer – €21,000,000 P/Y
Legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer ranks 2nd with an annual income of €21,000,000.
1. Harry Kane – €25,000,000 P/Y
Topping the list is England international Harry Kane, who earns €25,000,000 per year at Bayern Munich.
Premier League
The Premier League stands out as the European league with the highest salaries by far. Unsurprisingly, Manchester City dominates the list with the most players in the top 10.
10. Kai Havertz – €17,326,400 P/Y
Arsenal’s Kai Havertz takes the 10th spot with an annual salary of €17,326,400.
9. Omar Marmoush – €18,254,600 P/Y
The newly arrived Manchester City player Omar Marmoush has already made it into the top 10 highest-paid players in the Premier League earning €18,254,600 per year.
8. Jack Grealish – €18,564,000 P/Y
In 8th place is Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, with an annual salary of €18,564,000.
7. Marcus Rashford – €18,564,000 P/Y
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford shares the 7th spot with an annual salary of €18,564,000.
6. Bernardo Silva – €18,564,000 P/Y
Bernardo Silva from Manchester City also earns €18,564,000 per year, placing him 6th on the list.
5. Bruno Fernandes – €18,564,000 P/Y
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United earns €18,564,000 annually, securing the 5th position.
4. Casemiro – €21,658,000 P/Y
Manchester United’s Casemiro takes 4th place with a yearly salary of €21,658,000.
3. Mohamed Salah – €21,658,000 P/Y
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is tied with Casemiro for 3rd place, earning €21,658,000 per year.
2. Kevin De Bruyne – €24,752,000 P/Y
In 2nd place is Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City, with an annual salary of €24,752,000.
1. Erling Haaland – €32,487,000 P/Y
At the top of the list is Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, earning an incredible €32,487,000 per year.
