Who are the football players with the highest wages in Europe?
The world of football has been changing at breakneck speed of late. Those were the days when the creasing elite clubs in Europe produced the best-paid stars in the world.
The bar has been raised and tilted with the level of offers the Saudi Pro League has been putting forth, hooking even the big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema. Not to be left behind is Lionel Messi, who raked it in, of late, in Miami.
Yet top European clubs continue to pay astronomical salaries to keep their superstars happy.
With figures that make one’s eyes pop out in their sockets, the biggest stars of the game are seduced by a fat bankroll at every transfer window. The fact that a handful of them make a small fortune in wages is not entirely a myth.
So, now, let me line up for you the top 7 highest-paid players in Europe, as per their weekly wages in local currency.
Source: Capology
1. Frenkie de Jong – €721,154 per week
Frenkie de Jong is living his best life in Barcelona, and he still has a €75 million gross salary until 2026.
The Dutch midfielder, 27, is the highest-paid player in Europe’s top five leagues, banking an outrageous €721,154 a week—and that’s not counting bonuses.
No surprise, then, that he was less than keen to move to Manchester United from Spain in 2022. Since making his way into Barcelona, De Jong has evolved into an important cog that drives them forward to win La Liga in 2023.
With new manager Hansi Flick now in charge, though, nobody could feel entirely safe at the club.
De Jong’s is one of the highest weekly salaries on the books and given his astronomical pay, it would not be a surprise to see the Catalan giants cash in on the Dutch midfielder after all €37.5 million per annum is a pretty steep price to pay – even for a talent like De Jong.
2. Robert Lewandowski – €640,962 per week
It’s not all bad news for Robert Lewandowski—who rakes it in at Barcelona, with €66.6 million gross salary remaining on his contract to 2026.
The 35-year-old banks a stunning €640,962 each week. And that is before bonuses. The clinical finishing of Lewandowski more than warrants its worth in gold. He is truly among the game’s most valuable players.
After spending eight years with Bayern Munich came his move to Barcelona in 2022, where he won the title of La Liga 2022/23 with 23 goals in his first season.
No surprise there, given that he is one of the highest-paid players in the league, and scoring goals consistently is the hardest thing to do in football.
Lewandowski makes it look easy with his tremendous record of performances, so his Camp Nou success proves that such a hefty paycheck for him is well worth it.
3. Kylian Mbappe – €600,962 per week
Finally, this summer brought the long-predicted move to Real Madrid, where Kylian Mbappe made a statement beyond what lots of people had expected by scoring in his Super Cup debut against Atlanta last night and his first title with Los Blancos.
Surprisingly, Mbappe took a hefty pay cut to join the Spanish giants, reducing his weekly wage from over £1 million at PSG to approximately €600,000 at Madrid.
Now, he is tied to the club until 2029, with a remaining gross salary of €156.25 million on his contract.
For Mbappe, the thought of running out for Real Madrid outweighed the thought of a fat paycheck.
4. Harry Kane – €480,769 per week
Harry Kane’s call to leave Tottenham for Bayern Munich surprised a lot of people, but his first season in Germany has simply been phenomenal.
The English striker has been on fire, becoming the fastest player to score 20 Bundesliga goals and matching last season’s Golden Boot tally in record time.
One finds even more impressive the fact that he pulls in a staggering €25 million per annum, which comes down to €480,769 per week, just for being the world’s best striker.
Despite this success, Kane is still waiting for his first trophy with Bayern.
But with his talent and the team’s quality, it’s only a matter of time before he’s celebrating silverware. The real question is, can he overcome the disappointment of watching Bayer Leverkusen steal the Bundesliga title in his first season?
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5. Kevin de Bruyne – £400,000 per week
Kevin De Bruyne is the jewel in the Manchester City squad and receives £20.8 million gross in the 2024-2025 season, which makes him the top-paid player.
The Belgian maestro nets £400,000 per week, and the belief at City is that will keep him sweet and fend off any potential suitors from Saudi. And rightly so – De Bruyne has already justified his price tag with assistance in winning five league titles and several cups for City.
It’s already being said that he is one of the greatest midfielders ever to have played in the history of the Premier League – and he is 32.
Even with his injury troubles, De Bruyne remains the heartbeat of the most dominant team in the world. He is undeniably the finest midfielder in world football, and City will do everything to keep him at Etihad
6. Erling Haaland – £375,000 per week
The goal-scoring machine Manchester City knew they were getting when they signed him to a lucrative deal.
With £58.5 million remaining on his deal until 2027, Erling Haaland takes home a cool £375,000 per week—and you really can’t say that he doesn’t deserve it.
He broke the record for most goals scored in the Premier League during his inaugural year with 36 goals scored in only 35 games, and since then, become the top scorer in the league in consecutive seasons.
This great form further earned him a second place in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings at the back of Paris Saint-Germain Lionel Messi.
Not to forget, Haaland played a massive role in City’s historic treble, including their first-ever Champions League title.
Alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Haaland is one of only a few players who truly deserves the eye-watering wages he is given. Making serious impacts on the team, City knows they’ve got something special there.
7. David Alaba – €432,692 per week
The last but certainly not the least is David Alaba, the defensive ace raking in some sweet €432,692 per week at Real Madrid.
With a contract set to run out in 2026, he is among the highest earners in the team, only behind Kylian Mbappe. It is easy to see why: versatility, intelligence, and composure on the pitch make him one of Los Blancos’ game-changers.
Since his move from Bayern Munich back in 2021, Alaba has been an important player for Real Madrid, where he comfortably switches between center and left back.
How much his injury absence was felt last season; now he is back fit and proves that Alaba is worth €45 million.
