Elite level footballers have begun to make absurd wages in recent years.
Every young player dreams of signing for a top club to play and win the biggest competitions, and as the money in football has continued to grow, the financial benefits of making it to the very top have gone through the roof.
But who among the best players in the world makes the most? Is Lionel Messi still in the top 20 since his move to the MLS? Does anyone get anywhere close to Cristiano Ronaldo? The top 20 highest paid players in the world have been ranked below by averaging out three different sources for player wages…
Highest Earning English Players in World Football (2026)
These players don’t come cheap…
20
Casemiro – Manchester United
€21M/year
Casemiro’s glittering career is perhaps one of the few one could argue justify his massive wages.
The Brazil international spent nearly a decade at at Real Madrid before moving to perhaps the only place to give them a run for their money as the one of the biggest clubs in the world, joining Manchester United in 2022.
The midfielder has won three La Liga titles and is a five-time winner of the UEFA Champions League.
19
Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool
€21M/year
Van Dijk’s progression from a talented young defender at Celtic and Southampton to one of the greatest centre-backs in Premier League history at Liverpool has been a sight to behold.
The Dutchman defines ‘aura’ in a footballer and has guided Liverpool to two Premier League titles and one Champions League.
18
Manuel Neuer – Bayern Munich
€21M/year
Think of a ‘sweeper keeper’ and you think of Neuer.
The Germany and Bayern Munich legend transformed what it takes to be a modern day goalkeeper and is also a hugely decorated player, winning the Bundesliga a crazy 12 times as well as the Champions League twice and a World Cup crown with Germany.
17
Jude Bellingham– Real Madrid
€21.5M/year
Plenty laughed when hometown club Birmingham City retired Bellingham’s shirt, but the England starlet has proven to be one of the truly elite players in world football.
Now an established England international and one of the first names on the teamsheet in Madrid, Bellingham will seek to add silverware to his already illustrious CV in the coming years.
16
David Alaba – Real Madrid
€22.5M/year
Starring in Munich for over a decade before joining Real Madrid, Alaba is perhaps the greatest Austrian player of the modern era.
Capable of shining in midfield or anywhere across the defence, Alaba’s elite mentality and versatility has made him a fixture in multiple iconic teams.
15
Darwin Nunez – Al Hilal
€22.5M/year
While it didn’t work out for him at Liverpool, few more memorable players have walked through the door Anfield in recent years.
Joining Al-Hilal and securing generational wealth for his family, it will be interesting to see if the striker tries to challenge himself in Europe again before his career is up.
14
Dusan Vlahovic – Juventus
€23M/year
A player who Juventus are reportedly looking to sell due to his high wages, Vlahovic has not quite kicked on in Turin the way many expected.
The youngster broke through at Fiorentina as the next superstar striker, but is nowhere near the world’s greatest forwards.
13
Marcelo Brozovic – Al Nassr
€24M/year
Known by most football fans for his role in Croatia’s great tournament teams, Brozovic moved to the Saudi Pro League in 2023.
A Serie A winner with Inter, the tough tackling midfielder is one of the great underrated players of his era.
12
Mohamed Salah – Liverpool
€24M/year
Salah is still one of the greatest wingers in football despite a slight decline this season, with Liverpool’s ‘Egyptian King’ still breaking Premier League records, recently becoming the club’s greatest ever assister in the top flight.
There are plenty of rumours he could move to Saudi Arabia before his career is up, which would see these wages rise even more.
11
Vinicius Jr – Real Madrid
€25M/year
Vinicius is one of the greatest wingers in the world and already a hugely decorated player with Real Madrid.
Perhaps expected to challenge the true elites of world football more often than he has, the Brazilian’s only box left to tick is to win the Ballon d’Or.