LIGUE 1 · DEFENDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid Ligue 1 defenders
Lucas Hernández is the best-paid defender in Ligue 1, on £316,000 a week at Paris Saint-Germain, or £16,432,000 a year. Marquinhos is next on £279,000 at Paris Saint-Germain. We hold wages for 223 Ligue 1 defenders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £316k
AVERAGE WAGE £27,702
SHARE OF WAGE BILL30%
TOP 10 A WEEK £1.6m
WAGES HELD223
The 50 best-paid Ligue 1 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 | Lucas Hernández | £316,000£316k | £16,432,000£16.4m | Paris Saint-Germain | 29 | Centre-back | France |
| 2 | Marquinhos | £279,000£279k | £14,508,000£14.5m | Paris Saint-Germain | 31 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Brazil |
| 3 | Achraf Hakimi | £242,000£242k | £12,584,000£12.6m | Paris Saint-Germain | 26 | Right-back, right midfielder | Morocco |
| 4 | Warren Zaïre-Emery | £140,000£140k | £7,280,000£7.3m | Paris Saint-Germain | 19 | Right-back, defensive midfielder | France |
| 5 | Lucas Digne | £135,000£135k | £7,020,000£7.0m | Paris Saint-Germain | 31 | Left-back | France |
| 6 | Nuno Mendes | £128,000£128k | £6,656,000£6.7m | Paris Saint-Germain | 23 | Left-back | Portugal |
| 7 | Illia Zabarnyi | £104,000£104k | £5,408,000£5.4m | Paris Saint-Germain | 22 | Centre-back | Ukraine |
| 8 | Geoffrey Kondogbia | £91,000£91k | £4,732,000£4.7m | Olympique de Marseille | 32 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Central African Republic |
| 9 | Eric Dier | £85,000£85k | £4,420,000£4.4m | AS Monaco | 31 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | England |
| 10 | Jean-Clair Todibo | £75,000£75k | £3,900,000£3.9m | RC Lens | 25 | Centre-back | France |
| 11 | Willian Pacho | £71,000£71k | £3,692,000£3.7m | Paris Saint-Germain | 23 | Centre-back | Ecuador |
| 12 | Tanguy Nianzou | £66,000£66k | £3,432,000£3.4m | LOSC Lille | 23 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | France |
| 13 | Moussa Niakhaté | £59,000£59k | £3,068,000£3.1m | Olympique Lyonnais | 29 | Centre-back | Senegal |
| 14 | Beraldo (Lucas Lopes Beraldo) | £57,000£57k | £2,964,000£3.0m | Paris Saint-Germain | 21 | Centre-back | Brazil |
| 15 | Mohammed Salisu | £51,000£51k | £2,652,000£2.7m | AS Monaco | 26 | Centre-back | Ghana |
| 16 | Nicolás Tagliafico | £49,000£49k | £2,548,000£2.5m | Olympique Lyonnais | 32 | Left-back, left midfielder | Argentina |
| 17 | Vanderson | £47,000£47k | £2,444,000£2.4m | AS Monaco | 24 | Right-back, right midfielder | Brazil |
| 18 | Jonathan Clauss | £41,000£41k | £2,132,000£2.1m | OGC Nice | 32 | Right-back, right midfielder | France |
| 19 | Timothy Weah | £40,000£40k | £2,080,000£2.1m | Olympique de Marseille | 25 | Right-back, winger | United States |
| 20 | Clinton Mata | £37,000£37k | £1,924,000£1.9m | Olympique Lyonnais | 32 | Centre-back | Angola |
| 21 | Anthony Rouault | £36,000£36k | £1,872,000£1.9m | Stade Rennais FC | 24 | Centre-back | France |
| 22 | Przemyslaw Frankowski | £34,000£34k | £1,768,000£1.8m | Stade Rennais FC | 30 | Full-back | Poland |
| 23 | Carlens Arcus | £32,000£32k | £1,664,000£1.7m | Angers SCO | 29 | Right-back | Haiti |
| 24 | Jordan Teze | £32,000£32k | £1,664,000£1.7m | AS Monaco | 25 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 25 | Zachary Athekame | £31,000£31k | £1,612,000£1.6m | Olympique Lyonnais | 20 | Right-back | Switzerland |
| 26 | Jordan Lefort | £30,000£30k | £1,560,000£1.6m | Angers SCO | 31 | Centre-back | France |
| 27 | Axel Witsel | £29,000£29k | £1,508,000£1.5m | OGC Nice | 36 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Belgium |
| 28 | Nayef Aguerd | £29,000£29k | £1,508,000£1.5m | Olympique de Marseille | 29 | Centre-back | Morocco |
| 29 | Saud Abdulhamid | £29,000£29k | £1,508,000£1.5m | RC Lens | 25 | Right-back | Saudi Arabia |
| 30 | Jim Allevinah | £27,000£27k | £1,404,000£1.4m | Angers SCO | 30 | Right wing-back, winger | Gabon |
| 31 | Abner Vinicius | £27,000£27k | £1,404,000£1.4m | Olympique Lyonnais | 25 | Left-back | Brazil |
| 32 | Diego Coppola | £27,000£27k | £1,404,000£1.4m | Paris FC | 21 | Centre-back | Italy |
| 33 | Niels Nkounkou | £25,000£25k | £1,300,000£1.3m | OGC Nice | 24 | Left-back, left midfielder | France |
| 34 | Mark McKenzie | £25,000£25k | £1,300,000£1.3m | Toulouse FC | 26 | Centre-back | United States |
| 35 | Brendan Chardonnet | £24,000£24k | £1,248,000£1.2m | Stade Brestois 29 | 30 | Centre-back | France |
| 36 | Ahmed Touba | £23,000£23k | £1,196,000£1.2m | Havre AC | 27 | Centre-back | Algeria |
| 37 | Ruben Aguilar | £23,000£23k | £1,196,000£1.2m | RC Lens | 32 | Right-back | France |
| 38 | Elias Jelert | £21,000£21k | £1,092,000£1.1m | Havre AC | 22 | Full-back | Denmark |
| 39 | Quentin Merlin | £21,000£21k | £1,092,000£1.1m | Stade Rennais FC | 23 | Left-back, left winger | France |
| 40 | Romain Perraud | £20,000£20k | £1,040,000£1.0m | LOSC Lille | 27 | Left-back | France |
| 41 | Hamari Traoré | £19,000£19k | £988,000£988k | Paris FC | 33 | Right-back | Mali |
| 42 | Junior Mwanga | £18,000£18k | £936,000£936k | Havre AC | 22 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | France |
| 43 | Alexsandro Ribeiro | £18,000£18k | £936,000£936k | LOSC Lille | 25 | Centre-back | Brazil |
| 44 | Abakar Sylla | £18,000£18k | £936,000£936k | RC Strasbourg Alsace | 22 | Centre-back | Côte d’Ivoire |
| 45 | David Odogu | £17,000£17k | £884,000£884k | Toulouse FC | 19 | Centre-back | Germany |
| 46 | Montassar Talbi | £16,000£16k | £832,000£832k | FC Lorient | 27 | Centre-back | Tunisia |
| 47 | Alidu Seidu | £16,000£16k | £832,000£832k | Stade Rennais FC | 25 | Defender | Ghana |
| 48 | Otávio | £15,000£15k | £780,000£780k | Paris FC | 23 | Centre-back | Brazil |
| 49 | Lamine Koné | £15,000£15k | £780,000£780k | RC Strasbourg Alsace | 31 | Centre-back | Côte d’Ivoire |
| 50 | Tiago Santos | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | LOSC Lille | 22 | Right-back, right winger | Portugal |
What each position earns in Ligue 1
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Defenders take 30% of what Ligue 1 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 Ligue 1 club, added together, a week
Paris Saint-Germain pay 14 defenders £1,473,448 a week between them, and Lucas Hernández takes 21% of it.
The best-paid defender at every Ligue 1 club
18 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's defenders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain | Lucas Hernández | £316,000£316k | 1 |
| Olympique de Marseille | Geoffrey Kondogbia | £91,000£91k | 8 |
| AS Monaco | Eric Dier | £85,000£85k | 9 |
| RC Lens | Jean-Clair Todibo | £75,000£75k | 10 |
| LOSC Lille | Tanguy Nianzou | £66,000£66k | 12 |
| Olympique Lyonnais | Moussa Niakhaté | £59,000£59k | 13 |
| OGC Nice | Jonathan Clauss | £41,000£41k | 18 |
| Stade Rennais FC | Anthony Rouault | £36,000£36k | 21 |
| Angers SCO | Carlens Arcus | £32,000£32k | 23 |
| Paris FC | Diego Coppola | £27,000£27k | 32 |
| Toulouse FC | Mark McKenzie | £25,000£25k | 34 |
| Stade Brestois 29 | Brendan Chardonnet | £24,000£24k | 35 |
| Havre AC | Ahmed Touba | £23,000£23k | 36 |
| RC Strasbourg Alsace | Abakar Sylla | £18,000£18k | 44 |
| FC Lorient | Montassar Talbi | £16,000£16k | 46 |
| AJ Auxerre | Clément Akpa | £13,000£13k | 55 |
| ESTAC Troyes | Adrien Monfray | £5,500£6k | 87 |
| Le Mans FC | No wage held | - | - |
The best-paid defender in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid defender. Ligue 1 ranks fourth.
| 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 Ligue 1?
Lucas Hernández of Paris Saint-Germain, on £316,000 a week in 2026/27, or £16,432,000 a year. Marquinhos of Paris Saint-Germain is second on £279,000 a week.
How much do Ligue 1 defenders earn?
The average Ligue 1 defender aged 22 or over earns £27,702 a week, and the median one £12,000. Defenders take 30% of what Ligue 1 pays its players of that age.
Which Ligue 1 club pays its defenders the most?
Paris Saint-Germain, £1,473,448 a week across the 14 defenders we hold a wage for, led by Lucas Hernández on £316,000.
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 Ligue 1 ranks fourth of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same Ligue 1 squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid Ligue 1 players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what Ligue 1 players are paid at every age, or Ligue 1 wage bill, club by club.