Top 10 highest-paid midfielders in the world (2024)

Football continues to be extremely high paying and as more and more money enters the world of football, player wages keep going up astronomically. There’s that age-old debate as to whether footballers should be paid this much given doctors are paid so less. But the fact remains that the football clubs thanks to their immense worldwide fandom as well as rich sponsors and owners are ready to pay for the services of the footballers. That is how the business keeps running. That is why footballers are some of the richest sportspersons in the world at any given time.

Here at SportsDunia, today we will explore the list of the highest-paid midfielders in the world. Some of the best players in the world such as Jude Bellingham, Rodri, and Kevin de Bruyne happen to be midfielders, and owing to their importance to their respective teams it is very natural for midfielders to be compensated very well. Another thing to notice here will be the impact the Saudi Pro League has had on player salaries. (All stats via Capology)

10. Bernardo Silva: £300k per week

Bernardo Silva comes in at the bottom of this list, earning 300k Euros per week at Manchester City. He arrived at the Etihad Stadium in 2017 from Monaco for a fee of 50M Euros. Over the last 7 years, Silva has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world and a crucial cog in Manchester City’s winning machine. He was very influential in the club’s treble win back in 2022/23. The Portuguese international has been subject to plenty of transfer speculation featuring the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, but for now, is set to stay at the Manchester club.

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9. Federico Valverde: £320k per week

Federico Valverde comes in 9th on this list with a salary of 320k Euros per week, playing for Real Madrid. At the Santiago Bernabeu, Valverde has steadily developed into one of the best midfielders in world football. He is a true all-rounder in the middle of the park, capable of doing it all. Armed with near extraterrestrial lungs and a rocket of a shot, Valverde keeps Real Madrid ticking. Although he doesn’t get as much publicity as fellow teammates Jude Bellingham and Luka Modric, the Uruguayan is highly valued by the club and it is believed that he will soon be one of the captains.

8. Casemiro: £350k per week

Casemiro is believed to be earning 350k Euros a week at Manchester United. The Brazilian is widely accepted as one of the best midfielders in the modern game. Alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, Casemiro made up one of the best midfielder threes of all time, which was instrumental in Real Madrid winning the Champions League thrice in a row. However, Casemiro isn’t the same player now. Last season, the 32-year-old looked like a shadow of himself. It is believed that United will be eager to sell if they receive a sizeable offer from the Saudi clubs.

7. Ilkay Gundogan: £350k per week

Ilkay Gundogan is reported to be earning 350k a week in Barcelona and he comes in at 7th place on our list. The German midfielder moved to Barcelona on a free transfer at the end of the 2022/23 season, where he captained Manchester City to a treble. At Barcelona, he has shown his class too, with him being their best player last season, albeit in a struggling team. Gundogan created more chances than any other player in La Liga last season. Despite all of that, there are rumors that Barca could be looking to sell given the massive wages and the age of the player.

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6. Kevin De Bruyne: £400k per week

Perhaps surprisingly, given that he is recognized worldwide as the best midfielder in world football, Kevin de Bruyne only comes in a 6th in this list. He earns 400k Euros a week at Manchester City. Once a reject at Chelsea, the Belgian moved to Wolfsburg and re-established himself. Then Manchester City kept calling and the rest is history. By the time he is done, De Bruyne might well be regarded among the best midfielders to ever grace the league. For City, he has accumulated 102 goals and 170 assists in 382 games. Saudi clubs seem to be interested in a deal so it remains to be seen what happens with that.

5. Jude Bellingham: £400k per week

By far the youngest on this list, like Kevin de Bruyne, Jude Bellingham also earns 400k Euros a week at Real Madrid. Only 20 years old, Bellingham is one of the front runners to win the Ballon d’Or thanks to a sensational debut season at Real Madrid, where he was influential in Los Blancos winning both the league and the Champions League. He was also one of England’s best players as they finished runners-up at the Euros last month.

4. Marcelo Brozovic: £465k per week

Marcelo Brozovic earns 465k Euros a week at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. The Croatian midfielder is renowned for his exceptional passing range and tireless work ethic at the center of the park which led him to become a key figure for both Inter Milan and the Croatian national team in the past. His ability to dictate the tempo of play and provide crucial defensive protection saw him being regarded as one of the best deeper midfielders in Europe. He was wanted by the likes of Barcelona but decided to make the switch to Saudi to play alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane.

3. Sergej Milinkovic Savic: £480k per week

Sergej Milinkovic Savic earns a whopping 480k Euros a week at Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. For years, Milinkovic Savic was a crucial cog in the midfield at Lazio, with all of Europe after his signature. When he did move, he went on to join Al Hilal. He had 69 goals and 58 assists while with Lazio for 8 seasons. It is his set-piece ability and uncanny goalscoring prowess that makes the Serbian so valuable. Now 29, it remains to be seen if he ever leaves the richest of playing with Neymar and Co. for a move back to Europe.

2. N’ Golo Kante: £480k per week

French World Cup winner N’golo Kante earns an eye-watering 480k Euros a week at Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. From the fairytale Premier League win with Leicester City to the brilliant stint at Chelsea which saw him win the Champions League, Kante was widely seen as one of the best midfielders in the game before he moved to the Middle East. Despite that, he impressed for France in this year’s European Championships. He has been linked with a move back to London this month, through West Ham.

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1. Frenkie de Jong: £720k per week

Frenkie de Jong earns a mind-boggling 720k a week at Barcelona. However, this does indeed paint a little bit of a false image. That is because this isn’t De Jong’s real salary. This number is inflated during the peak of the Covid pandemic, the Dutch midfielder had ‘postponed’ a portion of his wages, which he is being paid right now. De Jong was signed from Ajax by Barcelona after that famous season in 2019 but his performances haven’t reached the level to merit him being paid this much.

FAQs

1. What is the highest-paid football player?

Ans: Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid player in the world.

2. Who is the highest-paid football player in the world in 2024?

Ans: Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr is the highest-paid player in the world in 2024.

3. Who is the highest-paid player in the world per week?

Ans: Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr is the highest-paid player in the world in 2024 with a weekly salary of €3,846,154 per week.