Football is the world’s most popular sport. Naturally, at the highest level of the game, there is a lot of money involved. On a weekly basis, the best professional footballers earn exorbitant sums of money.
Goals are the most important aspect of the game, so forwards or attackers steal the spotlight and grab the headlines. They are also usually the highest-paid. Midfielders, who orchestrate play, are typically paid slightly less than attackers, but this is not always the case.
Numerous world-class midfielders earn astronomical weekly salaries. Without further ado, here are the top five highest-paid midfielders in the world right now.
Top-1: Andres Iniesta – £450,000 per week. (Vissel Kobe)
Andres Iniesta, a Barcelona legend, left his childhood club in 2018 to join J1 League club Vissel Kobe. Iniesta is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, having played for both club and country.
With Barcelona, he has nine La Liga titles and four Champions League titles. Iniesta helped Spain win the 2010 FIFA World Cup, scoring the game-winning goal against the Netherlands. In 2008 and 2012, he also won two European Championships with Spain.
Vissel Kobe needed a player who could help raise the club’s standards, and no one could have done so better than Iniesta. That is also why they were willing to spend a fortune on him.
Iniesta’s contract was extended in May of this year until 2024, and he reportedly earns £450,000 per week. In 97 appearances for Vissel Kobe in all competitions, Iniesta has 22 goals and 20 assists.
Top-2: Kevin De Bruyne – £400,000 per week. (Manchester City)
Kevin De Bruyne is currently one of the best midfielders in the world. The Belgian international is so technically adept and efficient that when he is on the field, he frequently influences the outcome of games.
De Bruyne is a Manchester City player who plays for one of the richest clubs in the world. Isn’t it only fair that one of the richest clubs in the world pays their best player a colossal sum of money? De Bruyne extended his contract with the Cityzens in April of this year.
According to the terms of his new contract, he is paid £400,000 per week. That’s a lot of money, but keep in mind that De Bruyne was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
In 40 appearances across all competitions for Manchester City in the 2020-21 season, De Bruyne scored 10 goals and provided 18 assists.
Top-3: Oscar – £380,000 per week. (Shanghai Port)
Oscar, a Brazilian footballer, stunned the world when he agreed to join the Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port in 2017. The former Chelsea midfielder was in his prime, and it didn’t make sense for him to drop from the Premier League to the CSL.
However, one cannot deny that the movie made financial sense for him. The 30-year-old earns £380,000 per week at Shanghai Port and is under contract with the club until 2024.
It’s also a move that’s benefited the Chinese Super League team. Oscar has 48 goals and 86 assists in 159 appearances for Shanghai Port across all competitions.
Top-4: Toni Kroos -£307,000 per week.(Real Madrid)
Toni Kroos is one of the world’s best central midfielders. The former German international is still in charge of Real Madrid’s midfield and is regarded as one of the most elegant footballers of the twenty-first century.
Kroos was a key member of Real Madrid’s team that won three consecutive Champions League titles in the last decade. He was the tournament’s top assist provider and played a key role in Germany’s 2014 FIFA World Cup victory.
Kroos’ vision, passing range, spatial awareness, and tactical intelligence have elevated him to the ranks of the greatest Real Madrid midfielders of all time. During his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, he won two La Liga titles, three Champions League titles, and four FIFA Club World Cups. He is paid £307,000 per week.
Top-5: Paul Pogba – £290,000 per week. (Manchester United)
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is polarizing among fans. While there is no denying the Frenchman’s talent, as he is simply unplayable on his day, there is a case to be made that those days were few and far between.
The inconsistency of the 28-year-old has been a major source of frustration for Manchester United. While his attacking abilities, such as vision and the ability to pick a pass, are simply world-class, his defensive game leaves a lot to be desired.
Pogba has been a regular for France’s national team, where he typically plays in a double pivot alongside the tenacious N’Golo Kante. With France, he won the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Pogba’s current contract with Manchester United expires next summer, and it is unclear whether he intends to renew it. He is paid £290,000 per week.
