DANISH SUPERLIGA · DEFENDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid Danish Superliga defenders
Rasmus Kristensen is the best-paid defender in the Danish Superliga, on £39,000 a week at Football Club Midtjylland, or £2,028,000 a year. Birger Meling is next on £21,000 at Football Club København. We hold wages for 100 Danish Superliga defenders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £39k
AVERAGE WAGE £5,418
SHARE OF WAGE BILL30%
TOP 10 A WEEK £156k
WAGES HELD100
The 50 best-paid Danish Superliga 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 | Rasmus Kristensen | £39,000£39k | £2,028,000£2.0m | Football Club Midtjylland | 28 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 2 | Birger Meling | £21,000£21k | £1,092,000£1.1m | Football Club København | 30 | Full-back, left midfielder | Norway |
| 3 | Gabriel Pereira | £18,000£18k | £936,000£936k | Football Club København | 25 | Centre-back | Brazil |
| 4 | Daniel Wass | £17,000£17k | £884,000£884k | Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening | 36 | Right-back, defensive midfielder, central midfielder | Denmark |
| 5 | Martin Erlic | £12,000£12k | £624,000£624k | Football Club Midtjylland | 27 | Centre-back | Croatia |
| 6 | Mathias Jørgensen | £11,000£11k | £572,000£572k | Football Club København | 35 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 7 | Marcos López | £11,000£11k | £572,000£572k | Football Club København | 25 | Left-back, left midfielder | Peru |
| 8 | Luis Binks | £9,000£9k | £468,000£468k | Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening | 23 | Centre-back | England |
| 9 | Munashe Garananga | £8,900£9k | £462,800£463k | Lyngby Boldklub | 24 | Centre-back | Zimbabwe |
| 10 | Oliver Villadsen | £8,800£9k | £457,600£458k | Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening | 23 | Right-back | Denmark |
| 11 | Julian Pauli | £8,100£8k | £421,200£421k | Odense Boldklub | 19 | Centre-back | Germany |
| 12 | Mads Bech Sørensen | £7,900£8k | £410,800£411k | Football Club Midtjylland | 26 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 13 | Rasmus Carstensen | £7,700£8k | £400,400£400k | Aarhus Gymnastikforening | 24 | Right-back | Denmark |
| 14 | Valgeir Lunddal | £7,500£8k | £390,000£390k | Viborg Fodsports Forening | 23 | Full-back | Iceland |
| 15 | Frederik Alves | £7,300£7k | £379,600£380k | Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening | 25 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 16 | Jordi Vanlerberghe | £7,100£7k | £369,200£369k | Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening | 29 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 17 | Junnosuke Suzuki | £7,100£7k | £369,200£369k | Football Club København | 22 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Japan |
| 18 | Lee Han-Beom | £7,000£7k | £364,000£364k | Football Club Midtjylland | 23 | Centre-back | South Korea |
| 19 | Marko Divkovic | £6,900£7k | £358,800£359k | Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening | 26 | Left-back, left midfielder, striker | Croatia |
| 20 | Rodrigo Huescas | £6,700£7k | £348,400£348k | Football Club København | 21 | Right-back, right winger | Mexico |
| 21 | Frederik Tingager | £6,300£6k | £327,600£328k | Aarhus Gymnastikforening | 32 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 22 | Mikkel Rakneberg | £5,900£6k | £306,800£307k | Odense Boldklub | 23 | Left-back, attacking midfielder | Norway |
| 23 | Tobias Salquist | £5,600£6k | £291,200£291k | Football Club Nordsjælland | 30 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 24 | Adam Sørensen | £5,500£6k | £286,000£286k | Odense Boldklub | 24 | Left-back, left midfielder | Denmark |
| 25 | Mats Köhlert | £4,900£5k | £254,800£255k | Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening | 27 | Left-back, left winger | Germany |
| 26 | Peter Ankersen | £4,800£5k | £249,600£250k | Football Club Nordsjælland | 34 | Full-back | Denmark |
| 27 | Runar Norheim | £4,700£5k | £244,400£244k | Football Club Nordsjælland | 20 | Left-back, left winger | Norway |
| 28 | Tobias Mølgaard | £4,600£5k | £239,200£239k | Aarhus Gymnastikforening | 28 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 29 | Victor Jensen | £4,500£5k | £234,000£234k | Football Club Midtjylland | 21 | Left-back | Denmark |
| 30 | Daniel Høegh | £4,400£4k | £228,800£229k | Randers Football Club | 34 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 31 | Nikolai Hopland | £3,900£4k | £202,800£203k | Randers Football Club | 20 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Norway |
| 32 | Ousmane Diao | £3,800£4k | £197,600£198k | Football Club Midtjylland | 21 | Centre-back | Senegal |
| 33 | Topi Keskinen | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | Odense Boldklub | 22 | Left wing-back, winger | Finland |
| 34 | Andreas Bruus | £3,500£4k | £182,000£182k | Alliance Club Horsens | 26 | Right-back, right winger | Denmark |
| 35 | Wessel Dammers | £3,400£3k | £176,800£177k | Randers Football Club | 30 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 36 | Christian Sørensen | £3,400£3k | £176,800£177k | Vejle Boldklub | 32 | Left-back | Denmark |
| 37 | Felix Beijmo | £3,300£3k | £171,600£172k | Football Club København | 27 | Centre-back | Sweden |
| 38 | Juho Lähteenmäki | £3,100£3k | £161,200£161k | Football Club Nordsjælland | 19 | Left-back | Finland |
| 39 | James Gomez | £3,100£3k | £161,200£161k | Odense Boldklub | 23 | Centre-back | Gambia |
| 40 | Jens Martin Gammelby | £3,100£3k | £161,200£161k | Silkeborg Idrætsforening | 30 | Centre-back | Denmark |
| 41 | Lucas Lissens | £3,000£3k | £156,000£156k | Randers Football Club | 23 | Centre-back | Belgium |
| 42 | Magnus Jensen | £2,900£3k | £150,800£151k | Football Club Midtjylland | 28 | Centre-back, striker | Denmark |
| 43 | Nikolas Dyhr | £2,900£3k | £150,800£151k | Randers Football Club | 24 | Left-back, left midfielder | Denmark |
| 44 | Maxime Soulas | £2,900£3k | £150,800£151k | Sønderjyske Fodbold | 26 | Centre-back | France |
| 45 | Oskar Buur | £2,800£3k | £145,600£146k | Lyngby Boldklub | 27 | Right-back, right midfielder | Denmark |
| 46 | Andreas Oggesen | £2,500£3k | £130,000£130k | Sønderjyske Fodbold | 31 | Right-back, defensive midfielder | Denmark |
| 47 | Daníel Leó Grétarsson | £2,400£2k | £124,800£125k | Sønderjyske Fodbold | 29 | Centre-back | Iceland |
| 48 | Dalton Wilkins | £2,400£2k | £124,800£125k | Sønderjyske Fodbold | 26 | Centre-back, wide midfielder | New Zealand |
| 49 | Daniel Anyembe | £2,400£2k | £124,800£125k | Viborg Fodsports Forening | 26 | Full-back | Kenya |
| 50 | Eric Kahl | £2,300£2k | £119,600£120k | Aarhus Gymnastikforening | 23 | Centre-back | Sweden |
What each position earns in the Danish Superliga
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Defenders take 30% of what the Danish Superliga 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 Danish Superliga club, added together, a week
Football Club København pay 8 defenders £79,110 a week between them, and Birger Meling takes 27% of it.
The best-paid defender at every Danish Superliga club
13 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's defenders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Football Club Midtjylland | Rasmus Kristensen | £39,000£39k | 1 |
| Football Club København | Birger Meling | £21,000£21k | 2 |
| Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening | Daniel Wass | £17,000£17k | 4 |
| Lyngby Boldklub | Munashe Garananga | £8,900£9k | 9 |
| Odense Boldklub | Julian Pauli | £8,100£8k | 11 |
| Aarhus Gymnastikforening | Rasmus Carstensen | £7,700£8k | 13 |
| Viborg Fodsports Forening | Valgeir Lunddal | £7,500£8k | 14 |
| Football Club Nordsjælland | Tobias Salquist | £5,600£6k | 23 |
| Randers Football Club | Daniel Høegh | £4,400£4k | 30 |
| Alliance Club Horsens | Andreas Bruus | £3,500£4k | 34 |
| Vejle Boldklub | Christian Sørensen | £3,400£3k | 36 |
| Silkeborg Idrætsforening | Jens Martin Gammelby | £3,100£3k | 40 |
| Sønderjyske Fodbold | Maxime Soulas | £2,900£3k | 44 |
The best-paid defender in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid defender. The Danish Superliga ranks 21st.
| 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 Danish Superliga?
Rasmus Kristensen of Football Club Midtjylland, on £39,000 a week in 2026/27, or £2,028,000 a year. Birger Meling of Football Club København is second on £21,000 a week.
How much do Danish Superliga defenders earn?
The average Danish Superliga defender aged 22 or over earns £5,418 a week, and the median one £3,200. Defenders take 30% of what the Danish Superliga pays its players of that age.
Which Danish Superliga club pays its defenders the most?
Football Club København, £79,110 a week across the 8 defenders we hold a wage for, led by Birger Meling on £21,000.
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 Danish Superliga ranks 21st of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same Danish Superliga squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid Danish Superliga players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what Danish Superliga players are paid at every age, or the Danish Superliga wage bill, club by club.