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Football is the most popular sport in the world. Naturally, there is a lot of money involved in the game at its highest level. The best professional footballers earn ridiculous amounts of money on a weekly basis.
Scoring goals is the most important part of the game and as a result, forwards or attackers steal the limelight and grab the headlines. They also usually get paid the most. Midfielders, who are the orchestrators of play, are generally paid a little less than attackers but that need not always be the case.
There are plenty of world-class midfielders who take home a fortune in wages on a weekly basis. Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the highest paid midfielders in the world right now.
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#5 Paul Pogba (Manchester United) - £290,000 per week
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is a bit of a divisive figure among fans. While there is no denying the Frenchman's quality as he is simply unplayable on his day, there is an argument that those days came far and few in between.
The 28-year-old's inconsistency has been a major source of frustration for Manchester United. While his attacking attributes like vision and ability to pick a pass are simply world-class, the defensive side of his game leaves a lot to be desired.
Pogba has been a regular in the French national side, where he usually operates in a double pivot alongside the tenacious N'Golo Kante. He won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France.
Pogba's current deal with Manchester United expires next summer and it is not clear whether or not he plans on renewing his contract with the club.
#4 Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) - £307,000 per week
Toni Kroos is one of the best central midfielders in the world. The former German international continues to pull the strings for Real Madrid in midfield and is one of the most elegant footballers of the 21st century.
Kroos was a pivotal part of the Real Madrid side that won three successive Champions League titles in the last decade. He played a major role in Germany's 2014 FIFA World Cup triumph and was the top assist provider in the tournament.
Kroos' vision, passing range, spatial awareness and tactical intelligence make him one of the best Real Madrid midfielders of all time. He has won two La Liga titles, three Champions League titles and four FIFA Club World Cups during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.
#3 Oscar (Shanghai Port) - £380,000 per week
Brazilian footballer Oscar shocked the world when he copped a move to Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port in 2017. The former Chelsea midfielder was playing in his prime and it didn't make much sense for him to make the step down from the Premier League to the CSL.
However, one can't deny the fact that the move did make a lot of sense for him financially. The 30-year-old reportedly earns £380,000 per week at Shanghai Port and is currently tied to the club until 2024.
It is also a move that has benefitted the Chinese Super League outfit. Oscar has scored 48 goals and provided 86 assists in 159 appearances across all competitions for Shanghai Port so far.
#2 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - £400,000 per week
Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best midfielders in the world right now. The Belgian international is so technically adept and efficient that when he is on the pitch, he affects the outcome of games more often than not.
De Bruyne plays for Manchester City, one of the richest clubs in the world. It's only fair that one of the richest clubs in the world pays their best player a ludicrous amount of money, isn't it? De Bruyne signed a contract extension with the Cityzens in April earlier this year.
As per the terms of his new deal, he reportedly earns £400,000 per week in wages. That's an insane amount of money but let's not forget that De Bruyne won the PFA Players' Player of the Year Award in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
In the 2020-21 season, De Bruyne scored 10 goals and provided 18 assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for Manchester City.
#1 Andres Iniesta (Vissel Kobe) - £450,000 per week
Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta left his childhood club in 2018 and moved to Japan after joining J1 League Club Vissel Kobe. Iniesta is one of the greatest midfielders of all time and has had an illustrious career for both club and country.
He has won nine La Liga titles and four Champions League titles with Barcelona. Iniesta won the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain and famously scored the winning goal for La Roja in the final against Netherlands. He also won two European championships with Spain in 2008 and 2012.
Vissel Kobe needed a player who could help raise the standards at the club and they couldn't have signed someone better than Iniesta in that regard. That is also the reason why they were ready to shell out a fortune on him.
Iniesta, who extended his contract in May earlier this year until 2024, reportedly earns £450,000 per week. In 97 appearances across all competitions for Vissel Kobe, Iniesta has scored 22 goals and provided 20 assists.
