How much does a soccer player make? Footballer salaries vary greatly across leagues, with factors like club revenue, experience, position, and global popularity significantly influencing a player’s salary.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Soccer salaries vary widely, with top leagues paying over $300,000 per week while minor leagues may offer less than $1,000 weekly.
- Global icons like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi earn staggering amounts, with Ronaldo making about $275 million yearly and Messi $135 million annually.
- Forwards and strikers command the most significant salaries, often exceeding €20 million to €30 million annually, while defenders and goalkeepers generally earn less unless they are elite talents.
How much does a soccer player make?
Soccer players’ salaries vary depending on the league. Other factors affecting how much a player is paid include experience, club stature, and position played. Rookies earn way less than experienced soccer players. Below is an estimated breakdown of salaries for rookies and superstars in the major leagues.
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US Major League Soccer (MLS)
According to AS USA, rookies make between $71,000 and $104,000 per year in the US Major League Soccer (MLS).
Superstars like Lionel Messi can earn a huge salary of about $20.4 million per year. Miguel Almiron, another top earner in the league, earned $7.87 million at Atlanta United.
English Premier League
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In the English Premier League (EPL), rookies’ earnings vary, with youth prospects signed from academies earning higher. Rookies can start from around £100,000 ($136,000). Promising young players earn £50,000 to £200,000 ($67,000 to $272,000) per year, depending on the club.
Superstars in the EPL earn between 10 million and 25 million per year in salary alone. The top earner in the league is Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, who earns approximately £20 million ($27.4 million) annually.
Saudi Pro League
In the Saudi Pro League, salaries and contracts are competitive to attract talent. According to FootyStats, rookies earn from €90,000 to €200,000 ($106,000 to $236,000) per year for young professionals.
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Superstars, on the other hand, attract very high salaries. Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr FC is the highest-paid footballer in the league, earning around €200 million ($236 million) per year in the 2024/2025 season.
La Liga
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Top La Liga players earn substantial wages, with rookies earning an average annual salary of €120, 000 to €1 million ($140,000 to $1.1 million). The elite earn approximately €12 million to €31 million ($17 million to $36 million). Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé is the top earner at €31.25 million ($36.5 million) annually.
Serie A
Soccer players in Serie A earn salaries depending on the club’s status and the players’ potential. A rookie’s average is roughly €60,000 to €200,000 ($71,000 to $236,000) depending on the club’s status and the player’s potential. The elite talents earn between €10 million and €20 million ($11 million to $23 million). Serie A’s sports personality, Dušan Vlahović of Juventus, is the highest-paid player, earning €19.5 million ($23 million) annually.
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Bundesliga
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According to FBREF, in the Bundesliga, rookies earn an average of €30,000 to €130,000 ($40,000 to $176,000) annually. Superstars make around €15 million to €27 million ($21 million to $37 million) per year.
Harry Kane of Bayern Munich is the highest-paid football player in the league, with an annual salary of €25 million ($29 million). Below is a summary of soccer players’ average salaries for rookies and superstars in different leagues.
| League | Rookie salary (USD) | Superstar salary (USD) |
| US Major League Soccer (MLS) | $71,000 to $104,000 | Up to $20.4 million (Lionel Messi’s salary) |
| English Premier League (EPL) | $67,000 to $272,000 (or higher for promising youth prospects) | $13.6 million to $34 million |
| Saudi Pro League | $106,000 to $236,000 | Very high to attract talent |
| La Liga | $140,000 to $1.1 million | $17 million to $36 million |
| Bundesliga | $40,000 to $176,000 | $21 million to $37 million |
| Serie A | $71,000 to $236,000 | $11 million to $23 million |
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Which soccer position gets paid the most?
Forwards/strikers are the highest-paid athletes in soccer. According to World Soccer Talk, they often receive six-figure sums, around $124,000 weekly.
Elite strikers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane are among the top earners.
According to Indeed Career Guide, a professional soccer player can earn an average base salary of $52,219 annually, depending on the team, years of experience, position, and league.
Who is the richest soccer player in the world?
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According to Forbes, Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s richest soccer player, earning a massive $275 million annually. Most of his earnings are his substantial salary at the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr and his endorsements, ads, and sponsorships.
How much does the average soccer player make in Europe?
The average professional football player in Europe’s top leagues earns between $2 million and $5 million annually. The English Premier League averages about $5.2 million per year and La Liga around $3.1 million. Elite clubs like Real Madrid significantly exceed this, with average salaries reaching approximately $13.1 million per player annually.
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How much does the average soccer player make in the Premier League?
The average salary in the Premier League is between £60,000 and £100,000 ($81,000 to $136,000) per week. However, the highest-paid soccer player in the league is Erling Haaland, earning up to £525,000 ($716,000) per week.
How much does Messi make a year?
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Lionel Messi earns an average salary of about $60 million annually at Inter Miami, excluding endorsements. When his income from ads and other businesses is added, his total yearly earnings are close to $200 million.
How much does a soccer player make per game?
Soccer players are not paid per game. They are paid weekly or annually, which varies according to the team, experience, and position.
The earnings of a professional soccer player vary depending on team, experience, and league. Global superstars like Messi and Ronaldo earn hundreds of millions yearly, while players in minor leagues make a few thousand dollars.
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Trevon Diggs has a five-year contract, which he extended on 25 July 2023 with the Dallas Cowboys. The contract includes a money guarantee and signing bonuses. Find out more about Trevon Diggs’ contract and salary.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
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