CROATIAN FIRST LEAGUE · DEFENDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid Croatian First League defenders
Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel is the best-paid defender in the Croatian First League, on £15,000 a week at GNK Dinamo Zagreb, or £780,000 a year. Scott McKenna is next on £12,000 at GNK Dinamo Zagreb. We hold wages for 108 Croatian First League defenders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £15k
AVERAGE WAGE £2,078
SHARE OF WAGE BILL28%
TOP 10 A WEEK £98k
WAGES HELD108
The 50 best-paid Croatian First 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 | Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel | £15,000£15k | £780,000£780k | GNK Dinamo Zagreb | 27 | Full-back | France |
| 2 | Scott McKenna | £12,000£12k | £624,000£624k | GNK Dinamo Zagreb | 28 | Centre-back | Scotland |
| 3 | David Čolina | £12,000£12k | £624,000£624k | NK Osijek | 24 | Left-back | Croatia |
| 4 | Zvonimir Sarlija | £10,000£10k | £520,000£520k | HNK Hajduk Split | 28 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 5 | Hugo Guillamón | £9,200£9k | £478,400£478k | HNK Hajduk Split | 25 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Spain |
| 6 | Dino Perić | £8,400£8k | £436,800£437k | GNK Dinamo Zagreb | 31 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 7 | Kévin Théophile-Catherine | £8,000£8k | £416,000£416k | GNK Dinamo Zagreb | 35 | Centre-back | France |
| 8 | Raúl Torrente | £8,000£8k | £416,000£416k | GNK Dinamo Zagreb | 23 | Centre-back | Spain |
| 9 | Niko Galešić | £7,900£8k | £410,800£411k | GNK Dinamo Zagreb | 24 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 10 | Dario Melnjak | £7,400£7k | £384,800£385k | HNK Hajduk Split | 32 | Left-back, left midfielder | Croatia |
| 11 | Matteo Perez Vinlöf | £6,900£7k | £358,800£359k | GNK Dinamo Zagreb | 19 | Left-back | Sweden |
| 12 | Chester Diallo | £6,100£6k | £317,200£317k | HNK Hajduk Split | 28 | Centre-back | Côte d’Ivoire |
| 13 | Ante Majstorović | £4,500£5k | £234,000£234k | HNK Rijeka | 31 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Croatia |
| 14 | Jon Mersinaj | £4,100£4k | £213,200£213k | NK Osijek | 26 | Centre-back | Albania |
| 15 | Šimun Hrgović | £3,000£3k | £156,000£156k | HNK Hajduk Split | 21 | Full-back, left winger | Croatia |
| 16 | Niko Sigur | £2,900£3k | £150,800£151k | HNK Hajduk Split | 21 | Right-back, defensive midfielder | Canada |
| 17 | Mladen Devetak | £2,900£3k | £150,800£151k | HNK Rijeka | 26 | Left-back | Serbia |
| 18 | Nail Omerović | £2,900£3k | £150,800£151k | NK Osijek | 22 | Right wing-back, winger | Bosnia & Herzegovina |
| 19 | Renan Guedes | £2,700£3k | £140,400£140k | NK Osijek | 27 | Right-back | Brazil |
| 20 | Stjepan Radeljic | £2,600£3k | £135,200£135k | HNK Rijeka | 27 | Centre-back | Bosnia & Herzegovina |
| 21 | Ante Oreč | £2,500£3k | £130,000£130k | HNK Rijeka | 23 | Right-back | Croatia |
| 22 | Fran Karacic | £2,300£2k | £119,600£120k | NK Osijek | 29 | Right-back | Australia |
| 23 | Žan Trontelj | £2,000£2k | £104,000£104k | HNK Gorica | 25 | Right-back, right midfielder | Slovenia |
| 24 | Leonardo Sigali | £2,000£2k | £104,000£104k | NK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 38 | Centre-back | Argentina |
| 25 | Noa Mikić | £1,900£2k | £98,800£99k | GNK Dinamo Zagreb | 18 | Right-back | Croatia |
| 26 | Moreno Živković | £1,900£2k | £98,800£99k | HNK Vukovar 1991 | 21 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 27 | Marcel Heister | £1,900£2k | £98,800£99k | NK Istra 1961 | 32 | Left-back | Germany |
| 28 | Marko Pajac | £1,900£2k | £98,800£99k | NK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 32 | Left-back, left midfielder | Croatia |
| 29 | Frane Maglica | £1,300£1k | £67,600£68k | NK Varaždin | 28 | Defender | Croatia |
| 30 | Bruno Goda | £1,064£1k | £55,328£55k | GNK Dinamo Zagreb | 27 | Left-back, left midfielder | Croatia |
| 31 | Borna Barišić | £1,007£1k | £52,364£52k | NK Osijek | 32 | Left-back | Croatia |
| 32 | Advan Kadušić | £975£975 | £50,700£51k | NK Istra 1961 | 27 | Defender, defensive midfielder | Bosnia & Herzegovina |
| 33 | Marin Leovac | £900£900 | £46,800£47k | NK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 36 | Left-back | Croatia |
| 34 | Mateo Barac | £900£900 | £46,800£47k | NK Varaždin | 30 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 35 | Mario Mladenovski | £900£900 | £46,800£47k | NK Varaždin | 24 | Centre-back | North Macedonia |
| 36 | Mody Boune | £844£844 | £43,888£44k | NK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 23 | Right-back | France |
| 37 | Mateo Les | £757£757 | £39,364£39k | HNK Gorica | 25 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 38 | Novak Tepšić | £747£747 | £38,844£39k | NK Varaždin | 23 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Croatia |
| 39 | Antonio Maurić | £696£696 | £36,192£36k | NK Istra 1961 | 21 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Croatia |
| 40 | Bruno Bogojević | £639£639 | £33,228£33k | HNK Gorica | 27 | Right-back, right winger | Croatia |
| 41 | Luka Jelenić | £637£637 | £33,124£33k | NK Osijek | 25 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 42 | Josip Elez | £636£636 | £33,072£33k | HNK Vukovar 1991 | 31 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 43 | Ron Raçi | £557£557 | £28,964£29k | HNK Hajduk Split | 22 | Centre-back | Kosovo |
| 44 | Dario Marešic | £556£556 | £28,912£29k | HNK Hajduk Split | 25 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Austria |
| 45 | Marko Vešović | £534£534 | £27,768£28k | NK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 33 | Right-back, right midfielder | Montenegro |
| 46 | Anel Husić | £520£520 | £27,040£27k | HNK Rijeka | 24 | Centre-back | Switzerland |
| 47 | Tomislav Bozic | £514£514 | £26,728£27k | NK Slaven Belupo | 37 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 48 | Vinko Međimorec | £500£500 | £26,000£26k | NK Slaven Belupo | 29 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 49 | Denis Kolinger | £499£499 | £25,948£26k | NK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 31 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 50 | Antonio Bosec | £496£496 | £25,792£26k | HNK Vukovar 1991 | 27 | Full-back | Croatia |
What each position earns in the Croatian First League
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Defenders take 28% of what the Croatian First 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 Croatian First League club, added together, a week
GNK Dinamo Zagreb pay 16 defenders £70,562 a week between them, and Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel takes 21% of it.
The best-paid defender at every Croatian First League club
10 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's defenders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| GNK Dinamo Zagreb | Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel | £15,000£15k | 1 |
| NK Osijek | David Čolina | £12,000£12k | 3 |
| HNK Hajduk Split | Zvonimir Sarlija | £10,000£10k | 4 |
| HNK Rijeka | Ante Majstorović | £4,500£5k | 13 |
| NK Lokomotiva Zagreb | Leonardo Sigali | £2,000£2k | 24 |
| HNK Gorica | Žan Trontelj | £2,000£2k | 23 |
| HNK Vukovar 1991 | Moreno Živković | £1,900£2k | 26 |
| NK Istra 1961 | Marcel Heister | £1,900£2k | 27 |
| NK Varaždin | Frane Maglica | £1,300£1k | 29 |
| NK Slaven Belupo | Tomislav Bozic | £514£514 | 47 |
The best-paid defender in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid defender. The Croatian First League ranks 30th.
| 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 Croatian First League?
Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel of GNK Dinamo Zagreb, on £15,000 a week in 2026/27, or £780,000 a year. Scott McKenna of GNK Dinamo Zagreb is second on £12,000 a week.
How much do Croatian First League defenders earn?
The average Croatian First League defender aged 22 or over earns £2,078 a week, and the median one £527. Defenders take 28% of what the Croatian First League pays its players of that age.
Which Croatian First League club pays its defenders the most?
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, £70,562 a week across the 16 defenders we hold a wage for, led by Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel on £15,000.
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 Croatian First League ranks 30th of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same Croatian First League squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid Croatian First League players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what Croatian First League players are paid at every age, or the Croatian First League wage bill, club by club.