Soccer is a money-driven sport. Sure, academies can churn out world-class players from time to time, but to get consistent results, it is imperative to invest in top talents.
Agreeing to pay an eye-popping transfer fee only kicks off the negotiations, but it ultimately boils down to wages, as it shows the player how valued he is. Today, we will take a look at a handful of soccer stars who have received plenty of admiration from their teams and have the pay stubs to show for it.
Now, without further ado, let’s check out the 10 highest-paid players across the top five European leagues as of March 2024:
Salary data: L’Equipe
#10 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid): €1.7 million ($1.84 million) per month
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham joined from Borussia Dortmund for a €103 million ($111.60 million) fee in July 2023. According to the data from French outlet L’Equipe, the 20-year-old currently earns a whopping €1.72 million ($1.86 million) in the Spanish capital.
The England international has been in sensational form for Los Blancos, making him one of the few players on this list who could possibly demand even higher wages. He has scored 20 times and provided nine assists in 31 matches this season, emerging as Real Madrid’s leading goal contributor. With 16 goals to his name in 22 games, Bellingham is also the leading scorer in La Liga.
#9 Raphael Varane (Manchester United): €1.72 million ($1.86 million) per month
Manchester United center-back Raphael Varane makes a cool €1.72 million ($1.86 million) per month, making him the highest-paid defender in the English Premier League. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, Varane has not quite lived up to his billing and could depart the club at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Varane, who joined from Real Madrid in August 2021, has played 28 games for United in all competitions so far, scoring once. His contract with the club expires in June 2025.
#8 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): €1.77 million ($1.92 million) per month
The ‘Egyptian King’ Mohamed Salah is Liverpool’s highest-paid player, taking home €1.77 million ($1.92 million) per month. The 31-year-old, who is on Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad’s radar, sees his contract expire in June 2025.
Despite missing a few games due to injuries and international commitments, Salah has been Liverpool’s leading scorer and assist provider in the 2023-24 season. Playing 32 games for the Merseysiders in all competitions, Salah has scored 21 times and provided 13 assists.
#7 Casemiro (Manchester United): €1.77 million ($1.92 million) per month
Defensive midfielder Casemiro, who makes €1.77 million ($1.92 million) monthly, is the highest-paid player at Manchester United. The ex-Real Madrid man joined the Red Devils after winning his fifth UEFA Champions League trophy in the 2021-22 season and is contractually tied to them until June 2026.
The Brazilian midfielder has struggled to keep himself fit this season, missing 13 Premier League matches because of it. He has played 21 games for the Mancunians in all competitions, scoring five times and providing two assists.
#6 Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona): €1.87 million ($2.03 million) per month
One of the finest strikers of the 21st century, Robert Lewandowski is reportedly Barcelona‘s highest-paid player. The Polish center-forward, who joined the Blaugrana from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022, makes €1.87 million ($2.03 million) per month. His contract with the club runs out in June 2026.
Lewandowski has not been at his best this season, but he remains his team’s most prolific attacker. The 35-year-old has played 39 games for Barca across competitions, scoring 20 times and claiming nine assists.
#5 David Alaba (Real Madrid): €1.88 million ($2.04 million) per month
Real Madrid star David Alaba is the highest-paid defender in Europe, earning a whopping €1.88 million ($2.04 million) in wages every month. The former Bayer Munich ace, who joined Madrid as a free agent in July 2021, still has over two years left on his contract.
Alaba, 31, enjoyed a bright start to 2023-24, but an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear in December ruled him out for the season. Before suffering the unfortunate injury, the Austrian played 17 games for the All-Whites, providing two assists.
#4 Erling Haaland (Manchester City): €1.9 million ($2.06 million) per month
Arguably the best pure No. 9 in soccer, Erling Haaland makes big bucks at Manchester City, and understandably so. The 23-year-old, who scored 53 goals and helped City to the Treble in his debut 2022-23 season, bags a whopping €1.9 million ($2.06 million) per month. Haaland sees his Manchester City contract expire in June 2027.
Haaland has seen his second season in England interrupted by injuries, but he has still managed to post chart-topping numbers. The Norwegian has scored 18 goals in 23 Premier League matches, emerging as the division’s leading scorer. He has also netted six times in seven UEFA Champions League matches — the joint-highest in the competition.
#3 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City): €2 million ($2.17 million) per month
Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland’s teammate at Manchester City, is the highest-paid player in the Premier League this season. As per the data from L’Equipe, the Belgian maestro earns a massive €2 million ($2.17 million) per month at the Etihad Stadium. De Bruyne will be out of contract in June 2025, but considering the form he is in, City will tie him down to a new deal sooner rather than later.
De Bruyne missed months of soccer due to injuries this season, but it did not take a toll on his form. The ex-Chelsea midfielder has only played 14 games this season but pitched in with two goals and 13 assists.
#2 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich): €2.1 million ($2.28 million) per month
Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich splurged €95 million ($102.93 million) to prize Harry Kane away from Tottenham Hotspur last summer. They also tied him down to a lucrative four-year contract, worth €2.1 million ($2.28 million) per month.
Kane, 30, has emerged as the most in-form attacker in Europe this season. He has scored 37 times and provided 12 assists in 35 matches for the Bavarians in all competitions. An impressive 31 of his 37 goals have come in the Bundesliga (26 games), making him the European Golden Shoe frontrunner.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain): €6 million ($6.5 million) per month
Earning an unimaginable salary of €6 million ($6.5 million) per month, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe has comfortably claimed the top spot on this list. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, who has been at PSG since 2017, however, could soon see a sharp drop in his wages, as he will leave the club when his contract expires on June 30. La Liga giants Real Madrid will reportedly sign the Frenchman.
Mbappe, 25, has been firing on all cylinders in the 2023-24 season. Playing 37 games in all competitions, he has scored 38 times and provided eight assists. He is one of the joint-leading scorers in the UEFA Champions League and by far the leading scorer in Ligue 1.
