Football is undoubtedly the most popular ball game in the world, and unsurprisingly football players earn among the highest salaries of any profession or athletic endeavor.
No wonder we see them all living the high and fast life in multi-million dollar mansions, expensive cars, and private jets, even playing slots and having fun in exclusive establishments. But how much money do football players make exactly?
Life of a professional athlete is not an easy one
Firstly, how much football players make depends on the agreement details decided between the player and the club. And the Italy, Spain and England teams are among the highest-paying. No surprise since these are in the top leagues and earn the most support from domestic fans, as well as having massive support worldwide. Not to mention they’re the best known in the online betting realm since big clubs attract big money from all industries, not just the sports industry.
Besides that, top players usually earn additional profit from endorsements, appearances, sponsorship agreements and so on. Of course, this differs based on ability, sex, and the club. For example, the base Major League Football (US professional football league) pay is $56,250 per year and the average male player takes home roughly $117,000 yearly, which is really not that much compared to even some lower European leagues. The National Women’s Football League pays its players less than 30% of that. In comparison, a Premier League football player will earn $3.5 million per year.
How Much Do Football Players Make Per Week?
The Premier League (England): £50,000 per week is the average, however there are players like Alexis Sanchez from Man United who take home £350,000 weekly, excluding the £75,000 bonus per match. Or Pogba who earns £290,000 weekly and De Gea who takes £200,000. Naturally, big names earn more not just from their clubs, but also from their sponsors, since more exposure means more money for endorsement companies as well.
The Championship (England): The average take-home in this division is £7,500 – £8,500 per week. The top-tier players in this league earn around £80,000. Salaries drop further in League One where the weekly pay is just £1,700 – £2,500, and £1,300 – 1,500 in League Two.
Serie A (Italy): Cristiano Ronaldo is the top player in the league by far and undoubtedly earns the most with a staggering €565,000 weekly. Ramsey also gets over €400,000. However, other Italy clubs pay much less – just €10-13,000. Serie A used to be among the world’s biggest leagues, although that changed in recent years. Part of the natural cycle, we could say.
La Liga (Spain): Lionel Messi brings home an incredible €655,000 per week with Barcelona and remains one of the best paid athletes in the world. Gareth Bale from Real Madrid gets €400,000 weekly post-tax. However, many other top-tier players earn over €70,000 every week with chief Sergio Ramos getting €200,000.
In reality, many of these athletes have businesses running alongside their sports career, so the money they earn from football is not the only cash they bring home.
