The highest paid XI in world football: De Gea, De Jong, Messi, Ronaldo…
Footballers are some of the highest paid athletes in the world and we have compiled a starting XI of the highest paid players.
It's no surprise that Europe's top five leagues dominate the list, especially with players from PSG and Barcelona.
We've scoured the worldwide salary table on FBref and put together this XI, with the top earners for each position, arranged in a 4-2-3-1 formation:
GK: David de GeaDe Gea is the highest paid goalkeeper in the world, just ahead of Manuel Neuer and Jan Oblak with his weekly salary of £375,000 a week.
The Spanish keeper has been at Old Trafford for 12 seasons now and although his form may be a bit uneven these days, he is still one of the top names on the team sheet.
He has proven his worth this year under Erik ten Hag and could still be rewarded with a new deal as his current deal at Manchester is due to expire at the end of the season.
RB: Reece JamesJames enjoyed a rapid rise through the Chelsea academy and is now regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world. His weekly earnings of £250,000 certainly reflect his highly regarded status in the game.
The Chelsea full-back has been unfortunate with injuries this season and now faces another spell on the sidelines after picking up the injury against Bournemouth.
CB: Sergio RamosAfter an injured first year in Paris, Ramos is now finding his feet at PSG and he has been at the heart of their defense this season alongside Marquinhos.
Ramos, who earns a weekly salary of £463,000, is the highest paid defender in the world. His former Spanish teammate Gerard Pique held the record before retiring last year.
His current contract expires at the end of the season and he is linked with a reunion with former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr.
READ: Five of the fiercest El Clasico clashes between Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi
CB: David AlabaReal Madrid struck one of the bargains of the century when they snapped up Alaba on a free transfer from Bayern Munich. They rewarded him with a weekly salary of £382,000, making him the highest paid defender in La Liga.
The 30-year-old enjoyed a memorable debut campaign with Madrid winning La Liga, the Supercopa de Espana and the Champions League in the 2021-22 season.
CEO: Jordi AlbaBarcelona have a reputation for handing out huge contracts these days and Alba is still one of their highest earners today with a weekly salary of £353,000.
In a bid to ease Barcelona's financial problems in 2021, Alba was one of their players to take a pay cut. Some reports suggest that Alba cut his salary by up to 25% and also deferred another part of his salary.
CDM: Sergio BusquetsBusquets could be nearing the end of his time at Barcelona, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, although Xaxi is keen to keep him.
"He has a contract until June and then we'll see. It's more a personal feeling on his part. How he sees himself in the team, for me, it's fundamental," Xavi told reporters.The 34-year-old currently earns an estimated weekly salary of £628,000 at Barcelona. His former Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta is close to matching his wages as he earns nearly £500,000 a week with Vissel Kobe.
CDM: Frenkie de JongNot only is De Jong Barcelona's highest-paid player, he's also...
Footballers are some of the highest paid athletes in the world and we have compiled a starting XI of the highest paid players.
It's no surprise that Europe's top five leagues dominate the list, especially with players from PSG and Barcelona.
We've scoured the worldwide salary table on FBref and put together this XI, with the top earners for each position, arranged in a 4-2-3-1 formation:
GK: David de GeaDe Gea is the highest paid goalkeeper in the world, just ahead of Manuel Neuer and Jan Oblak with his weekly salary of £375,000 a week.
The Spanish keeper has been at Old Trafford for 12 seasons now and although his form may be a bit uneven these days, he is still one of the top names on the team sheet.
He has proven his worth this year under Erik ten Hag and could still be rewarded with a new deal as his current deal at Manchester is due to expire at the end of the season.
RB: Reece JamesJames enjoyed a rapid rise through the Chelsea academy and is now regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world. His weekly earnings of £250,000 certainly reflect his highly regarded status in the game.
The Chelsea full-back has been unfortunate with injuries this season and now faces another spell on the sidelines after picking up the injury against Bournemouth.
CB: Sergio RamosAfter an injured first year in Paris, Ramos is now finding his feet at PSG and he has been at the heart of their defense this season alongside Marquinhos.
Ramos, who earns a weekly salary of £463,000, is the highest paid defender in the world. His former Spanish teammate Gerard Pique held the record before retiring last year.
His current contract expires at the end of the season and he is linked with a reunion with former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr.
READ: Five of the fiercest El Clasico clashes between Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi
CB: David AlabaReal Madrid struck one of the bargains of the century when they snapped up Alaba on a free transfer from Bayern Munich. They rewarded him with a weekly salary of £382,000, making him the highest paid defender in La Liga.
The 30-year-old enjoyed a memorable debut campaign with Madrid winning La Liga, the Supercopa de Espana and the Champions League in the 2021-22 season.
CEO: Jordi AlbaBarcelona have a reputation for handing out huge contracts these days and Alba is still one of their highest earners today with a weekly salary of £353,000.
In a bid to ease Barcelona's financial problems in 2021, Alba was one of their players to take a pay cut. Some reports suggest that Alba cut his salary by up to 25% and also deferred another part of his salary.
CDM: Sergio BusquetsBusquets could be nearing the end of his time at Barcelona, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, although Xaxi is keen to keep him.
"He has a contract until June and then we'll see. It's more a personal feeling on his part. How he sees himself in the team, for me, it's fundamental," Xavi told reporters.The 34-year-old currently earns an estimated weekly salary of £628,000 at Barcelona. His former Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta is close to matching his wages as he earns nearly £500,000 a week with Vissel Kobe.
CDM: Frenkie de JongNot only is De Jong Barcelona's highest-paid player, he's also...
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