'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Football, the game we love, is the most popular sport in the world. Millions of fans go to their favorite stadiums each week to cheer their team on. Billions more sit in front of the TV and sing their club’s anthems from the comfort of their homes. Football is a huge money-making, money-spending operation, and you have to dig deeper to understand how extravagant the system is.
Today, we will give you a glimpse into the financials of some of the top football clubs in the world. The five teams on our list are desperate for success and are not shy of paying their star players millions in weekly wages.
Here are the five football teams with the highest wage bills in Europe this season:
Stats via: Salary Sport
#5 Liverpool - £3,293,650 per week
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are one of the most in-form teams in Europe right now. The Reds have won eight of their last 10 matches and are en route to a successful campaign. Most of Liverpool’s biggest stars have performed admirably this season, truly earning their massive paycheques.
Virgil van Dijk, one of the most highly-rated centre-backs in Europe, is the club’s highest earner this season. The former Southampton man takes home £240,000 per week. Premier League leading scorer Mohamed Salah is second on Liverpool’s wage list. The Egypt international earns £225,000 per week, which is surprisingly low for a player of his caliber.
Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara is the third-highest earner at Liverpool. The graceful central-midfielder makes the same as Salah - £225,000 per week.
The other two members of Liverpool’s first-choice front-three, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota, make £200,000 and £120,000, respectively, every week.
#4 Chelsea - £3,419,370 per week
Since taking over the club in 2003, Roman Abramovich has taken Chelsea to new heights. The Blues have become competitive in all competitions and can give any team in Europe a run for their money.
Under the stewardship of Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea lifted their second UEFA Champions League title at the end of last season. With an even stronger squad this season, they are gunning for more success this term.
This season’s biggest signing in the Premier League, Romelu Lukaku, is Chelsea’s current highest earner. The former Chelsea man earns a whopping £350,000 per week and is expected to take the club to new heights this season.
Star midfielder N’Golo Kante is Chelsea’s second-highest earner. The 2018 World Cup winner takes home £290,000 every week.
We have Timo Werner in third position. The German has once again failed to hit the ground running in the Premier League, scoring only once in nine league games, making £268,000 per week.
#3 Manchester United - £4,132,000 per week
Premier League giants Manchester United have not won the league title since 2012-13. Many managers have tried, but the club have just not been able to take the final step.
Bringing in high-profile players has earned them a couple of second-place finishes in the last five years, but United are far from satisfied.
At the start of the season, Manchester United brought back Cristiano Ronaldo to bag a notable trophy. The Portuguese, who has been United’s most lethal forward, is the highest earner at the club, taking home £480,000 every week.
David de Gea comes in next with £350,000/week, while Paul Pogba rounds off the top-three with his £290,000 per week contract.
#2 Real Madrid - £4,662,500 per week
The 13-time UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid have never been shy of spending big. Not only do they bag the top stars with ludicrous bids, but they also pay eye-popping salaries to their ‘Galacticos.’
As of the 2021-22 campaign, out-of-favor superstar Gareth Bale remains Real Madrid’s highest earner. The Welshman, who has only featured in three La Liga games this season, earns £528,000 per week.
Chelsea superstar and one of Real Madrid’s worst transfers of the century, Eden Hazard is the club’s second-best paid player. The Belgian makes £381,000 every week.
Summer signing David Alaba is the third-highest earner at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Austria international, who joined Madrid as a free agent, takes home £359,000 per week.
The team’s most consistent performers, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Karim Benzema earn £307,000, £275,000, and £275,000, respectively.
#1 PSG - £5,005,120 per week
One of the biggest clubs in Europe right now, Paris Saint-Germain, have the highest wage bill on the continent. The Parisians are desperate to win their maiden UEFA Champions League title and are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to attain the feat.
PSG famously signed Lionel Messi from Barcelona in the summer of 2021, making the Argentine the club’s new record wage earner.
According to Salary Sport, PSG pays Messi a whopping £1 million per week, making him the first and only member of the millionaire club.
Neymar, who joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017, is the club's second-highest earner. The Brazilian superstar currently earns £602,000 per week.
The third member of the formidable attacking trio, Kylian Mbappe, is the third top-earner, taking home a whopping £413,000 every week.
