European Football Wage Bills Reach Record Highs

Annual Spending Soars in Big Five Leagues

As the 2023-2024 football season approaches, the annual wage bills of Europes five major leagues have reached record highs. According to the latest data, Premier League clubs are leading the way with an average spend of £320 million per year, followed by La Liga (£280 million), Serie A (£260 million), Bundesliga (£240 million) and Ligue 1 (£220 million).

Who is Paying the Most?

Manchester City are the highest-paying club in the Big Five leagues, with an annual wage bill of £650 million. This is followed by Real Madrid (£600 million), Barcelona (£550 million), Bayern Munich (£520 million) and Juventus (£500 million).

Impact of COVID-19

The trend towards higher wages has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced clubs to reduce their spending on transfers and other non-wage expenses. As a result, clubs have been more willing to invest in their squads, and player salaries have risen accordingly.

The Best Paid Players

The highest-paid player in the world is Lionel Messi, who earns £500,000 per week at Paris Saint-Germain. Other top earners include Cristiano Ronaldo (£480,000 per week), Kevin De Bruyne (£450,000 per week), Neymar (£400,000 per week) and Mohamed Salah (£350,000 per week).

The Tier System

In order to control costs, UEFA has introduced a ten-tier system for player salaries in the Champions League and Europa League. The tiers range from Tier 1 (minimum salary of €250,000 per year) to Tier 10 (minimum salary of €60,000 per year).