The Highest-paid football players in the Champions League 2024
The best football players earn small fortunes playing the Beautiful Game, but the highest-paid footballer in the UEFA Champions League is raking in the cash.
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Table of Contents
Kylian Mbappe is the highest-paid footballer in the UEFA Champions League. Mbappe earns to £1,19m per week at Paris Saint-Germain. The Frenchman has been one of the most sought-after players in world football for many years. His prolific goal scoring has led PSG to many titles in his seven years at the club.
However, domestic success in France has not translated to Europe, where legacies are defined. Since 2011, the Paris club has been bankrolled by the Qatari government-backed investment fund Qatar Sports Investments (QSI).
QSI chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been PSG president since the takeover. Al-Khelaifi, however, answers to Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, who has the final say on every decision of the club. QSI own the majority shares (87.5%) in the club, while American investment firm Arctos Partners owns the remaining 12.5%.
Despite being the richest club in France, and one of the wealthiest teams in the world, the state-owned Paris club has failed to deliver in the Champions League. Even with an embarrassment of riches at PSG, Lionel Messi - the best player in the world – Neymar, Mbappe, Angel di Maria, Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and a host of other superstars during the QSI ownership, the club has only managed one Champions League final.
Les Parisiens spent more than £1,64 billion since the 2011 takeover, paying exorbitant wages on players, some past their best, and have fallen short on the grandest stage of all: Europe. The club has won 11 of the last 12 Ligue 1 titles, the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue six times each, and 10 Trophée des Champions since the Qataris bankrolled the Saint Denis club.
Furthermore, one Champions League final in 13 years, with a host of superstars and the one of the biggest cheque books, is a disaster for the French club. Another failure to reach the 2024 final only highlights PSG’s plight, and their collective failure of their superstars shows that money does not guarantee success in football.
At SportsBoom, we have listed the highest-paid football players in the Champions League in 2024.
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The Highest-Paying Football Clubs in the Champions League 2024
All professional footballers earn large salaries for entertaining fans, but Europe’s biggest clubs pay top dollar for the services of the best players in the world. However, some football players earn more money than other players even if their clubs are not successful, or as successful as others.
Most of the highest-paid football players who grace the Champions League come from Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues. Furthermore, the top 10 highest-paid footballers play in four of the five; the Premier League, Ligue 1, La Liga, and the Bundesliga.
In fact, six of the top 10 best-paid Championship players come from six of Europe’s powerhouse clubs. Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich all have players represented on the list of big earners.
The salaries quoted are the players’ weekly and yearly earnings paid by their clubs for the duration of their contracts.
The players’ personal endorsements, image rights, and other off-field earnings are not disclosed in this article.
Highest-Paid Footballers in the Championship League 2024
Rank | Player | Football Club | Per Week | Per Year |
1 | Kylian Mbappe | Paris Saint-Germain | £1,190,000 | £62m |
2 | Frenkie de Jong | Barcelona | £620,600 | £32,3m |
3 | Robert Lewandowski | Barcelona | £448,000 | £42,3m |
4 | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | £414,000 | £21,5m |
5 | Toni Kroos | Real Madrid | £403,490 | £21m |
6 | Kevin de Bruyne | Manchester City | £400,000 | £20,8m |
7 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | £375,000 | £19,5m |
8 | David Alaba | Real Madrid | £372,370 | £19,4m |
9 | Luka Modric | Real Madrid | £362,100 | £18,9m |
10 | Casemiro | Manchester United | £350,000 | £18,2m |
Who are the highest-paid footballers in the Champions League?
Paris Saint-Germain pays Kylian Mbappe £1.19 million per week, making him the highest-paid player in the Champions League in 2024. Mbappe earns almost double the highest-paid player in Europe, Frenkie de Jong. De Jong’s teammate, Robert Lewandowski, is third on the top 10 list.
Surprisingly, Harry Kane sits fourth, the only representative from Germany’s Bundesliga. Toni Kroos, of Real Madrid, is behind Kane, while Kevin de Bruyne is the top Premier League earner.
De Bruyne, in sixth, is the last of the top 10 players to earn £400,000 per week or more. This is remarkable considering he is one of the best players in world football.
The midfield maestro’s Manchester City teammate, Erling Haaland, earns a little less than the Belgium international. Haaland is the seventh highest-paid Champions League player in 2024, earning £25,000 per week less than De Bruyne.
Image Credits: Liondartois // CC BY-SA 4.0
Two more Madrid players make the list. David Alaba and Luka Modric are at the lower end of biggest salaries in Europe. They both, however, only earn about £10,000 per week difference in Spain’s capital.
Los Blancos are the most successful club in European history, and the most decorated Champions League team of the last decade.
They are getting full value for their money, while others are overpaying without success.
Manchester United, despite being one of the worst teams in the 2024 Champions League, are one of the wealthiest clubs in the world. Carlos Casemiro is the highest earner at Old Trafford, and the only player at the club on the list. However, they were dumped out of the competition at the group stage and will not take part next season after failing to finish in the top four of the Premier League.
Considering the club has one of the biggest wage bills in Europe and has paid some of the highest transfer fees for flops in the last decade, this is no surprise. Erik ten Hag’s team will be absent from the Champions League next season, and he might be too.
The Highest-Paid Champions League Player at FC Barcelona
Barcelona has a history of overpaying stars and underperforming alike. The transition from Lionel Messi and other former world-class players has been erratic and littered with a poor transfer strategy.
Frenkie de Jong is the highest-paid player at Barcelona. De Jong makes £620,600 a week at the club. The Dutchman is the second-highest-paid player in the Champions League behind Mbappe, which is incredible considering the club’s recent woes in La Liga and Europe.
Robert Lewandowski is third on the list of biggest paid players, making £448,000 at the Catalan giants. Barcelona got good value for the striker, who has more than lived up to his billing since joining from Bayern Munich in 2022.
Image Credits: Ardfern // CC BY-SA 4.0
The Highest-Paid Champions League Player at Manchester City
Manchester City, like Barcelona, also have two players on the top 10 highest earners list in European football. This is not surprising considering the club’s war chest full of petrol dollars.
Kevin De Bruyne is the highest-paid footballer at City £400,000 per week. De Bruyne sits sixth on the charts, one ahead of Erling Haaland. The Norwegian goal machine makes £375,000 per week, another bargain price deal for The Citizens, especially after all his goal scoring records led the club to a rare Treble, last season.
The Highest-Paid Champions League Player at Bayern Munich
Harry Kane’s massive transfer fee from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich meant large wages, too. Kane earns £414,000 a week in Germany, putting him fourth on Europe’s biggest wages list.
The England striker’s form has been excellent, once again; however, all his goals could not get Munich through to another Champions League final. Bayern also finished second in the Bundesliga for the first time since the 2011/12 season.
That was the year Munich also ended the season trophyless for the first time since this campaign (2023/24). Despite not winning any silverware, Kane’s performances have been superb, and his salary deserving.
Image Credits: Brad Tutterow // CC BY 2.0
The Highest-Paid Champions League Player at Real Madrid
Real Madrid, European football’s most decorated club, has the most players in the top 10 highest-paid footballers list in the Champions League in 2024. Madrid veterans, Toni Kroos, David Alaba, and the evergreen Luka Modric, all make the list.
Kroos is the best-paid at the club, and fifth-best-paid in Europe’s elite competition, earning £403,490 per week. Alaba and Kroos’ midfield partner, Modric, both £372,370 and £362,100, respectively.
This puts the two Madristas at numbers eight and nine on the highest-paid UEFA players this year. The club’s wage-structure and salary scale are working well. They once again made the Champions League final, and are heavy favourites to claim a record fifteenth title when they play Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
The Highest-Paid Champions League Player at Manchester United
Casemiro is the only Manchester United player to make the top 10 list. The former Real Madrid midfield enforcer earns £350,000 per week at Old Trafford, but his drop-off in form has seen United endure one of their worst domestic campaigns since the 1973/74 season
Casemiro’s poor displays has not helped his side and will surely count against the Brazilian when his contract negations re-open.
Age is not on the South American’s side. He is 32-years -old, and looks to be running out of steam.
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Image Credits: Ruben Ortega // CC BY-SA 4.0
FAQs
Who is the highest-paid Premier League footballer in the world?
Kevin De Bruyne is the highest-paid footballer in the Premier League in 2024. De Bruyne earns £400,000 per week, equating to £20,800,000 per year playing for Manchester City.
Who is the highest-paid footballer in the world?
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid footballer in the world. Ronaldo earns £3,3 million per week at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Who is the highest-paid footballer in the Champions League?
Kylian Mbappe is the highest-paid footballer in the Champions League.
Who is the highest-paid women's footballer in the world?
Alexia Putellas is the highest-paid women's footballer in the world. Putellas earns an annual salary of £556,777 playing for FC Barcelona.
Who is the highest-paid African footballer in the world?
Sadio Mane is the best-paid African footballer in the world. Mane makes £662,000 per week at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Kaylan Geekie is a sports fanatic. He attended Durban High School before moving to Scotland, where he lived for 15 years. During his time in the United Kingdom, Kaylan graduated with a first-class BA Honours Degree in Sports Journalism at the University of the West of Scotland. Kaylan worked for nine years as the Match-Day Editor of SuperXV.com, reporting on Super Rugby, The Rugby Championship, the 2015 Men's Rugby World Cup and the 2017 British & Irish Lions series for the website.