BELGIAN PRO LEAGUE · DEFENDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid Belgian Pro League defenders
Matteo Dams is the best-paid defender in the Belgian Pro League, on £49,000 a week at Club Brugge KV, or £2,548,000 a year. Kota Takai is next on £25,000 at K Sint-Truidense VV. We hold wages for 141 Belgian Pro League defenders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £49k
AVERAGE WAGE £5,133
SHARE OF WAGE BILL28%
TOP 10 A WEEK £193k
WAGES HELD141
The 50 best-paid Belgian Pro League defenders
Weekly wage, 2026/27. A player who plays in two areas of the pitch is on both lists, at the full wage.
| # | PLAYER | WEEKLY | YEARLY | CLUB | AGE | POSITION | NATION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matteo Dams | £49,000£49k | £2,548,000£2.5m | Club Brugge KV | 21 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 2 | Kota Takai | £25,000£25k | £1,300,000£1.3m | K Sint-Truidense VV | 20 | Centre-back | Japan |
| 3 | Brandon Mechele | £17,000£17k | £884,000£884k | Club Brugge KV | 32 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 4 | Killian Sardella | £16,000£16k | £832,000£832k | RSC Anderlecht | 23 | Right-back | Belgium |
| 5 | Joel Ordóñez | £16,000£16k | £832,000£832k | Club Brugge KV | 21 | Centre-back | Ecuador |
| 6 | Botond Balogh | £15,000£15k | £780,000£780k | KVC Westerlo | 23 | Centre-back | Hungary |
| 7 | Leo Fuhr Hjelde | £15,000£15k | £780,000£780k | Yellow Red KV Mechelen | 21 | Centre-back | Norway |
| 8 | Maxime Busi | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | R Antwerp FC | 25 | Right-back, right midfielder | Belgium |
| 9 | Dimitri Lavalée | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | R Standard de Liège | 28 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 10 | Enric Llansana | £12,000£12k | £624,000£624k | RSC Anderlecht | 24 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 11 | Mohammed el Hankouri | £12,000£12k | £624,000£624k | R Standard de Liège | 28 | Full-back, winger | Morocco |
| 12 | Siebe Van der Heyden | £11,000£11k | £572,000£572k | KAA Gent | 27 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 13 | Marlon Fossey | £9,000£9k | £468,000£468k | R Standard de Liège | 26 | Right-back | United States |
| 14 | Matisse Samoise | £8,900£9k | £462,800£463k | KAA Gent | 23 | Right-back, right midfielder | Belgium |
| 15 | Salim Diakité | £8,600£9k | £447,200£447k | SV Zulte Waregem | 25 | Centre-back | Mali |
| 16 | Giulian Biancone | £8,200£8k | £426,400£426k | RSC Anderlecht | 25 | Centre-back | France |
| 17 | Ludwig Augustinsson | £8,000£8k | £416,000£416k | RSC Anderlecht | 31 | Left-back | Sweden |
| 18 | Marco Kana | £7,900£8k | £410,800£411k | RSC Anderlecht | 22 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Belgium |
| 19 | Patrick Pflücke | £7,800£8k | £405,600£406k | Royal Charleroi Sporting Club | 28 | Right wing-back, right winger | Germany |
| 20 | Tommy St. Jago | £7,600£8k | £395,200£395k | Yellow Red KV Mechelen | 25 | Centre-back | Curaçao |
| 21 | Daam Foulon | £7,400£7k | £384,800£385k | R Antwerp FC | 26 | Left-back | Belgium |
| 22 | Hugo Siquet | £7,200£7k | £374,400£374k | Club Brugge KV | 23 | Right-back | Belgium |
| 23 | Ilay Camara | £7,100£7k | £369,200£369k | RSC Anderlecht | 22 | Full-back, right midfielder | Senegal |
| 24 | Joaquin Seys | £7,100£7k | £369,200£369k | Club Brugge KV | 20 | Full-back | Belgium |
| 25 | Joedrick Pupe | £7,100£7k | £369,200£369k | K Sint-Truidense VV | 28 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 26 | Josué Homawoo | £7,100£7k | £369,200£369k | R Standard de Liège | 27 | Centre-back | Togo |
| 27 | Jannik Robatsch | £7,100£7k | £369,200£369k | Waasland-Beveren | 20 | Centre-back | Austria |
| 28 | Jakob Kiilerich | £7,100£7k | £369,200£369k | SV Zulte Waregem | 25 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 29 | Kyriani Sabbe | £7,000£7k | £364,000£364k | Club Brugge KV | 20 | Right-back | Belgium |
| 30 | Rein Van Helden | £6,700£7k | £348,400£348k | R Antwerp FC | 22 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 31 | Taiga Hata | £6,600£7k | £343,200£343k | K Sint-Truidense VV | 23 | Full-back, left midfielder | Japan |
| 32 | Christian Burgess | £6,400£6k | £332,800£333k | KAA Gent | 33 | Centre-back | England |
| 33 | Joris Kayembe | £6,100£6k | £317,200£317k | K Racing Club Genk | 30 | Left-back | Congo - Kinshasa |
| 34 | Kévin Van Den Kerkhof | £6,000£6k | £312,000£312k | Royal Charleroi Sporting Club | 29 | Right-back, right winger | Algeria |
| 35 | Matte Smets | £5,900£6k | £306,800£307k | K Racing Club Genk | 21 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 36 | Noë Dussenne | £5,900£6k | £306,800£307k | Oud-Heverlee Leuven | 33 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 37 | Thibault Vlietinck | £5,600£6k | £291,200£291k | Oud-Heverlee Leuven | 27 | Right-back | Belgium |
| 38 | Dries Wouters | £5,400£5k | £280,800£281k | Lommel SK | 28 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Belgium |
| 39 | Enrique Lofolomo | £5,300£5k | £275,600£276k | SV Zulte Waregem | 25 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Germany |
| 40 | Gora Diouf | £5,200£5k | £270,400£270k | Yellow Red KV Mechelen | 21 | Centre-back | Senegal |
| 41 | Óscar Gil | £5,000£5k | £260,000£260k | Oud-Heverlee Leuven | 27 | Right-back | Spain |
| 42 | Kamiel Van De Perre | £5,000£5k | £260,000£260k | Royale Union Saint-Gilloise | 21 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Belgium |
| 43 | Kevin Mac Allister | £5,000£5k | £260,000£260k | Royale Union Saint-Gilloise | 27 | Centre-back | Argentina |
| 44 | Tiago Araújo | £4,600£5k | £239,200£239k | KAA Gent | 24 | Left-back, left winger | Portugal |
| 45 | Tayo Adaramola | £4,600£5k | £239,200£239k | KSV Cercle Brugge | 21 | Left-back | Ireland |
| 46 | Shogo Taniguchi | £4,600£5k | £239,200£239k | K Sint-Truidense VV | 33 | Centre-back | Japan |
| 47 | Visar Musliu | £4,500£5k | £234,000£234k | K Sint-Truidense VV | 30 | Centre-back | North Macedonia |
| 48 | Erick | £4,300£4k | £223,600£224k | KSV Cercle Brugge | 21 | Right-back, defensive midfielder | Brazil |
| 49 | Ibrahim Karamoko | £4,100£4k | £213,200£213k | R Standard de Liège | 23 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Guinea |
| 50 | Lucas Hey | £4,000£4k | £208,000£208k | RSC Anderlecht | 22 | Centre-back, central midfielder | Denmark |
What each position earns in the Belgian Pro League
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Defenders take 28% of what the Belgian Pro League pays its players of that age. The four shares add up to the whole bill, because a player who plays in two areas gives half the wage to each.
The clubs that pay their defenders the most
Every defender wage we hold at each Belgian Pro League club, added together, a week
Club Brugge KV pay 8 defenders £107,900 a week between them, and Matteo Dams takes 45% of it.
The best-paid defender at every Belgian Pro League club
18 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's defenders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club Brugge KV | Matteo Dams | £49,000£49k | 1 |
| K Sint-Truidense VV | Kota Takai | £25,000£25k | 2 |
| RSC Anderlecht | Killian Sardella | £16,000£16k | 4 |
| Yellow Red KV Mechelen | Leo Fuhr Hjelde | £15,000£15k | 7 |
| KVC Westerlo | Botond Balogh | £15,000£15k | 6 |
| R Standard de Liège | Dimitri Lavalée | £14,000£14k | 9 |
| R Antwerp FC | Maxime Busi | £14,000£14k | 8 |
| KAA Gent | Siebe Van der Heyden | £11,000£11k | 12 |
| SV Zulte Waregem | Salim Diakité | £8,600£9k | 15 |
| Royal Charleroi Sporting Club | Patrick Pflücke | £7,800£8k | 19 |
| Waasland-Beveren | Jannik Robatsch | £7,100£7k | 27 |
| K Racing Club Genk | Joris Kayembe | £6,100£6k | 33 |
| Oud-Heverlee Leuven | Noë Dussenne | £5,900£6k | 36 |
| Lommel SK | Dries Wouters | £5,400£5k | 38 |
| Royale Union Saint-Gilloise | Kamiel Van De Perre | £5,000£5k | 42 |
| KSV Cercle Brugge | Tayo Adaramola | £4,600£5k | 45 |
| KV Kortrijk | Boris Lambert | £3,500£4k | 54 |
| RAAL La Louvière | Wagane Faye | £1,400£1k | 101 |
The best-paid defender in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid defender. The Belgian Pro League ranks 17th.
| LEAGUE | BEST PAID | WEEKLY | AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Pro League | Kalidou Koulibaly | £497,000£497k | £40,351£40k |
| Premier League | Virgil van Dijk | £350,000£350k | £69,840£70k |
| Bundesliga | Dayot Upamecano | £331,000£331k | £42,331£42k |
| Ligue 1 | Lucas Hernández | £316,000£316k | £27,702£28k |
| La Liga | João Cancelo | £249,000£249k | £37,418£37k |
| Serie A | John Stones | £200,000£200k | £36,415£36k |
| Süper Lig | Milan Škriniar | £166,000£166k | £15,078£15k |
| Superleague Greece | Stefan de Vrij | £117,000£117k | £10,420£10k |
| Championship | Kieran Trippier | £115,000£115k | £18,082£18k |
| Eredivisie | Lutsharel Geertruida | £99,000£99k | £8,088£8k |
| Major League Soccer | Jordi Alba | £85,000£85k | £7,805£8k |
| Scottish Premiership | Ben Godfrey | £80,000£80k | £5,860£6k |
| Primeira Liga | Jakub Kiwior | £58,000£58k | £5,910£6k |
| La Liga 2 | David López | £58,000£58k | £4,473£4k |
| Russian Premier League | Matheus Reis | £57,000£57k | £12,772£13k |
| Brasileirão Série A | Guillermo Maripán | £53,000£53k | £8,284£8k |
| Belgian Pro League | Matteo Dams | £49,000£49k | £5,133£5k |
| League One | Wes Morgan | £46,000£46k | £5,700£6k |
| 2. Bundesliga | Yannick Gerhardt | £42,000£42k | £8,296£8k |
| Super Liga | Nicolás Otamendi | £41,000£41k | £3,253£3k |
| Danish Superliga | Rasmus Kristensen | £39,000£39k | £5,418£5k |
| Ekstraklasa | Attila Szalai | £36,000£36k | £2,883£3k |
| Serie B | Federico Baschirotto | £33,000£33k | £6,876£7k |
| Czech First League | David Jurásek | £29,000£29k | £1,857£2k |
| Chinese Super League | Matheus Jussa (Matheus Isaias dos Santos) | £27,000£27k | £4,788£5k |
| Liga MX | Kenedy | £25,000£25k | £6,926£7k |
| Austrian Bundesliga | Stefan Lainer | £21,000£21k | £4,095£4k |
| Ligue 2 | Frédéric Guilbert | £18,000£18k | £4,556£5k |
| J1 League | Gotoku Sakai | £15,000£15k | £3,457£3k |
| Croatian First League | Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel | £15,000£15k | £2,078£2k |
| Thai League | Erik Sviatchenko | £14,000£14k | £2,172£2k |
| Eliteserien | Hrannar Snær Magnússon | £13,000£13k | £1,630£2k |
| Belgian Challenger Pro League | Thomas Foket | £8,600£9k | £1,529£2k |
| League Two | Alfie Dorrington | £8,500£9k | £2,352£2k |
| Categoría Primera A | Frank Fabra | £8,300£8k | £3,994£4k |
| Scottish Championship | Leon King | £8,000£8k | £952£952 |
| A-League | Jacob Farrell | £6,100£6k | £1,262£1k |
| Indian Super League | Anwar Ali | £4,500£5k | £595£595 |
| National League | Jake Rooney | £4,100£4k | £1,165£1k |
| I-League | Jamie McCart | £4,100£4k | £547£547 |
| Veikkausliiga | Alfie Cicale | £2,500£3k | £646£646 |
| Canadian Premier League | Curtis Ofori | £1,400£1k | £443£443 |
| Meistriliiga | Modou Tambedou | £484£484 | £152£152 |
Frequently asked questions
Who is the highest paid defender in the Belgian Pro League?
Matteo Dams of Club Brugge KV, on £49,000 a week in 2026/27, or £2,548,000 a year. Kota Takai of K Sint-Truidense VV is second on £25,000 a week.
How much do Belgian Pro League defenders earn?
The average Belgian Pro League defender aged 22 or over earns £5,133 a week, and the median one £3,600. Defenders take 28% of what the Belgian Pro League pays its players of that age.
Which Belgian Pro League club pays its defenders the most?
Club Brugge KV, £107,900 a week across the 8 defenders we hold a wage for, led by Matteo Dams on £49,000.
Who is the highest paid defender in football?
Of the 43 men's leagues we rank defenders in, the best-paid is Kalidou Koulibaly of Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club in the Saudi Pro League, on £497,000 a week. The best-paid in the Belgian Pro League ranks 17th of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same Belgian Pro League squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid Belgian Pro League players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what Belgian Pro League players are paid at every age, or the Belgian Pro League wage bill, club by club.