Euro 2016: Highest paid players at the tournament

UEFA Euro 2016 is progressing quite well in France and the football tournament is heading into the business end. The teams who have made it to the quarter-finals, are now battling it out to make it to the semi-finals. Every single team has been playing with a lot of intent to make their countries proud

We have witnessed some breath-taking performances from various teams and the contest has been fierce with some world-class players participating in this edition. And, inevitably these players are paid a fortune by their club teams and through various sponsors. Here are the players who are currently being paid the highest through salaries and sponsorship deals in Euro 2016.

1) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

The Superstar of world football, Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest paid player who is currently participating in the Euro 2016. The Portuguese captain is being paid €67.4m (£52.7m) per year including salary and sponsorship deals . Recently going past Luis Figo’s record of being the most capped Portugal player (127), Ronaldo helped his side qualify for the round-of-16 when they were facing the threat of an early exit from the Euro 2016. The Real Madrid Forward scored 2 goals and assisted Luis Nani against Hungary which ended in a draw (3-3) and earned Portugal a crucial point that saw them through to the next stage.

Ronaldo is the key player for Portugal and has been deployed as a striker, from where he helped his team past Croatia with an assist. The 31-year-old’s pace and strength make him an instant threat to the opposition. Scoring 60 times for his country in 130 appearances, Cristiano will want to end this tournament on a high and lift his team to the finish line.

2) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)

Ibra retires as the highest paid Swede at the Euros.

Sweden’s beating heart, Zlatan Ibrahimovic occupies the 2nd spot on this list. Announcing his International retirement during the Euros this year, Ibrahimovic has given us a lot of memorable moments during his 15-year-career and is certainly one of the most skilled players in the entire world. The Swedish Striker earns around €28.5m (£22.5m) each year including salary and sponsorship deals. Zlatan has failed to score in this edition of the European Championship and could not help Sweden get through to the knockout stages.

Scoring 60 goals in 116 games for his country, Ibrahimovic has had a phenomenal conversion rate and even at the age of 34, he is one of the fittest players to take part in the Euro 2016. Ending his stay at Paris Saint-Germain, rumors suggest that Zlatan will be headed towards Manchester United for the upcoming season in the English Premier League.

3) Gareth Bale (Wales)

The sky is the limit for Bale, as Wales’ highest paid player led them to the quarter-finals.

The Welshman can take pride as he has played the critical role of making Wales take part in the first major tournament since 1958. Rising to fame with the Tottenham Hotspurs and then transferring to Real Madrid in 2013, Gareth Bale earns around €25m (£19.5m) including salary and sponsorship deals on a yearly basis. The 26-year-old Winger has already scored 3 goals in the Uefa Euro 2016. Bale also played an important role against Northen Ireland and helping the Wales get through to the quarter-finals.

Apart from his high-intensity pace and dribbling abilities, Bale has proved that he is a free-kick specialist with 2 of his 3 goals in the Euro 2016 coming through free-kicks. Wales has been relying heavily on the Real Madrid Winger and he has entirely lived up to the expectations. Bale has already represented his country on 59 occasions and scored 22 goals in the process.

4) Thomas Muller (Germany)

Muller will be looking to prove he is worthy of Germany’s highest earning player tag by improving in the quarter-finals.

The Bayern Munich hitman has been one of the best players in Europe for quite some time now. Muller conventionally plays down on the right flank and his versatility means he is played as an attacking midfielder as well as a centre-forward. The German player earns about €23.6m (£18.4m) including salary and sponsorship deals each year. Muller has always been a reliable player in the team but has had a mixed run of form at Euro 2016. After his largely ineffective performance in the game against Hungary in Group C, Muller created the opportunity for Mario Gomez to score against Northern Ireland, which ended up being the difference between the two teams.

Thomas Muller is a proven talent and he has shown that on the field with his movement and a touch of class with his long range strikes. Muller will be crucial for Germany to progress further into the tournament and hopefully lead them to the title.

5) Wayne Rooney (England)

Rooney is England’s most experienced as well as their highest earning player.

Captain of England and Manchester United, Wayne Rooney finds a place on this list, Earning around €22m (£17.2m) including salary and sponsorship deals per year, Rooney has been the key player for England in the Euros this year. The Manchester United Striker has been mainly used in the midfield area for England in this tournament and has done a reasonably good job in his new role, although the defeat to Iceland is a bitter pill to swallow, as he falls short with the national team yet again.

Representing his country on over 100 occasions, Rooney is currently the highest goalscorer for England (beating Bob Charlton’s record of 49 goals) and is the most experienced player in the Euro 2016 participating for his country.

Highest Paid Players in Euro 2016:

Player Name	Team	Salary and Sponsorship deals(€)
Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	67.4 Million
Zlatan Ibrahimovic	Sweden	28.5 Million
Gareth Bale	Wales	25 Million
Thomas Muller	Germany	23.6 Million
Wayne Rooney	England	22 Million

Source: France Football magazine.