Kylian Mbappé tops the list of highest-paid players in Europe

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·12. November 2025

Kylian Mbappé tops the list of highest-paid players in Europe

Kylian Mbappé - Xabi Alonso

Across Europe, Kylian Mbappé stands as the highest-paid footballer. Here’s a look at the top 10 player salaries on the continent.

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On fire at Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappé unsurprisingly leads the ranking of footballers earning the biggest paychecks worldwide. According to CIES estimates, the French superstar earns a staggering €22.8 million gross per year. This analysis is based on a statistical model considering several sporting criteria—such as minutes played, the level of matches, and starting rate over the past year—while also factoring in the player’s position. Mohamed Salah and Jude Bellingham round out the podium of Europe’s best-paid stars by these metrics.

In other positions, Thibaut Courtois is the highest-earning goalkeeper, Virgil van Dijk leads among centre-backs, and Achraf Hakimi tops the list for full-backs.