PRIMEIRA LIGA · MIDFIELDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid Primeira Liga midfielders
João Palhinha is the best-paid midfielder in the Primeira Liga, on £199,000 a week at Sport Lisboa e Benfica, or £10,348,000 a year. Séko Fofana is next on £139,000 at Futebol Clube do Porto. We hold wages for 188 Primeira Liga midfielders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £199k
AVERAGE WAGE £11,158
SHARE OF WAGE BILL31%
TOP 10 A WEEK £673k
WAGES HELD188
The 50 best-paid Primeira Liga midfielders
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 | João Palhinha | £199,000£199k | £10,348,000£10.3m | Sport Lisboa e Benfica | 30 | Defensive midfielder | Portugal |
| 2 | Séko Fofana | £139,000£139k | £7,228,000£7.2m | Futebol Clube do Porto | 30 | Defensive midfielder | Côte d’Ivoire |
| 3 | Jakub Kiwior | £58,000£58k | £3,016,000£3.0m | Futebol Clube do Porto | 25 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Poland |
| 4 | Enzo Barrenechea | £57,000£57k | £2,964,000£3.0m | Sport Lisboa e Benfica | 24 | Defensive midfielder | Argentina |
| 5 | Richard Ríos | £48,000£48k | £2,496,000£2.5m | Sport Lisboa e Benfica | 25 | Defensive midfielder | Colombia |
| 6 | Leandro Barreiro | £41,000£41k | £2,132,000£2.1m | Sport Lisboa e Benfica | 25 | Defensive midfielder | Luxembourg |
| 7 | Alberto Baio | £35,000£35k | £1,820,000£1.8m | Futebol Clube do Porto | 21 | Right-back, right midfielder | Portugal |
| 8 | Samuel Dahl | £33,000£33k | £1,716,000£1.7m | Sport Lisboa e Benfica | 22 | Left-back, left midfielder | Sweden |
| 9 | Alan Varela | £32,000£32k | £1,664,000£1.7m | Futebol Clube do Porto | 24 | Defensive midfielder | Argentina |
| 10 | Pablo Rosario | £31,000£31k | £1,612,000£1.6m | Futebol Clube do Porto | 28 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Dominican Republic |
| 11 | Alexander Bah | £30,000£30k | £1,560,000£1.6m | Sport Lisboa e Benfica | 27 | Right-back, right midfielder | Denmark |
| 12 | Victor Froholdt | £27,000£27k | £1,404,000£1.4m | Futebol Clube do Porto | 19 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Denmark |
| 13 | Francisco Moura | £27,000£27k | £1,404,000£1.4m | Futebol Clube do Porto | 25 | Left-back, left midfielder | Portugal |
| 14 | Giorgos Vagiannidis | £24,000£24k | £1,248,000£1.2m | Sporting Clube de Portugal | 23 | Right-back, right midfielder | Greece |
| 15 | Maximiliano Araújo | £24,000£24k | £1,248,000£1.2m | Sporting Clube de Portugal | 25 | Left-back, left midfielder | Uruguay |
| 16 | Manu Silva | £23,000£23k | £1,196,000£1.2m | Sport Lisboa e Benfica | 24 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Portugal |
| 17 | Denis Huseinbašić | £22,000£22k | £1,144,000£1.1m | SC Braga | 24 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Bosnia & Herzegovina |
| 18 | Sergi Altimira | £16,000£16k | £832,000£832k | Sporting Clube de Portugal | 23 | Defensive midfielder | Spain |
| 19 | Zaidu Sanusi | £14,000£14k | £728,000£728k | Futebol Clube do Porto | 28 | Left-back, left midfielder | Nigeria |
| 20 | João Moutinho | £13,000£13k | £676,000£676k | SC Braga | 38 | Defensive midfielder | Portugal |
| 21 | João Simões | £11,000£11k | £572,000£572k | Sporting Clube de Portugal | 18 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Portugal |
| 22 | Sotiris Alexandropoulos | £11,000£11k | £572,000£572k | Sporting Clube de Portugal | 23 | Defensive midfielder | Greece |
| 23 | Jean-Baptiste Gorby | £8,100£8k | £421,200£421k | SC Braga | 22 | Defensive midfielder | France |
| 24 | Ricardo Esgaio | £8,000£8k | £416,000£416k | Gil Vicente | 32 | Right-back, right midfielder | Portugal |
| 25 | Víctor Gómez | £8,000£8k | £416,000£416k | SC Braga | 25 | Right-back, right midfielder | Spain |
| 26 | Vasco Sousa | £7,500£8k | £390,000£390k | Futebol Clube do Porto | 22 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Portugal |
| 27 | Bartłomiej Wdowik | £7,500£8k | £390,000£390k | SC Braga | 24 | Left-back, left midfielder | Poland |
| 28 | Diogo Nascimento | £7,400£7k | £384,800£385k | Rio Ave | 22 | Defensive midfielder | Portugal |
| 29 | Vitor Carvalho | £7,000£7k | £364,000£364k | SC Braga | 28 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Brazil |
| 30 | Diego Henrique | £6,400£6k | £332,800£333k | SC Braga | 20 | Central midfielder | Portugal |
| 31 | Issa Doumbia | £6,100£6k | £317,200£317k | Sporting Clube de Portugal | 21 | Central midfielder | Italy |
| 32 | Lohann Doucet | £6,000£6k | £312,000£312k | Vitória de Guimarães | 22 | Defensive midfielder | France |
| 33 | Maxime Dominguez | £5,900£6k | £306,800£307k | Marítimo | 29 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Switzerland |
| 34 | Beni Mukendi | £5,500£6k | £286,000£286k | Vitória de Guimarães | 23 | Defensive midfielder | Angola |
| 35 | Yellu Santiago | £5,300£5k | £275,600£276k | Marítimo | 21 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Spain |
| 36 | Bento Estrela | £3,500£4k | £182,000£182k | Sporting Clube de Portugal | 19 | Defensive midfielder | United States |
| 37 | Zaïd BafdilI | £3,000£3k | £156,000£156k | Sporting Clube de Portugal | 17 | Defensive midfielder | Belgium |
| 38 | Nuno Félix | £2,900£3k | £150,800£151k | Sport Lisboa e Benfica | 21 | Defensive midfielder | Portugal |
| 39 | Miguel Magalhães | £2,900£3k | £150,800£151k | Vitória de Guimarães | 22 | Right-back, right midfielder | Portugal |
| 40 | Miguel Nóbrega | £2,900£3k | £150,800£151k | Vitória de Guimarães | 25 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Portugal |
| 41 | Brandon Aguilera | £2,500£3k | £130,000£130k | Rio Ave | 22 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Costa Rica |
| 42 | Andrey | £2,500£3k | £130,000£130k | Santa Clara | 23 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Brazil |
| 43 | Ahmed Sidibé | £2,500£3k | £130,000£130k | Vitória de Guimarães | 23 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | France |
| 44 | Xeka | £2,400£2k | £124,800£125k | Estoril Praia Futebol | 30 | Defensive midfielder | Portugal |
| 45 | Darlan Mendes | £2,400£2k | £124,800£125k | Santa Clara | 27 | Defensive midfielder | Brazil |
| 46 | Filipe Soares | £2,300£2k | £119,600£120k | Nacional da Madeira | 26 | Central midfielder | Portugal |
| 47 | Francisco Chissumba | £2,300£2k | £119,600£120k | Futebol Clube de Alverca | 20 | Left-back, left midfielder | Portugal |
| 48 | Facundo Cáseres | £2,300£2k | £119,600£120k | Gil Vicente | 24 | Defensive midfielder | Argentina |
| 49 | Gonçalo Costa | £2,200£2k | £114,400£114k | Estoril Praia Futebol | 25 | Left-back, left midfielder | Portugal |
| 50 | Garcia | £2,200£2k | £114,400£114k | Famalicão | 23 | Right-back, right midfielder | Brazil |
What each position earns in the Primeira Liga
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Midfielders take 31% of what the Primeira Liga 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 midfielders the most
Every midfielder wage we hold at each Primeira Liga club, added together, a week
Sport Lisboa e Benfica pay 16 midfielders £444,000 a week between them, and João Palhinha takes 45% of it.
The best-paid midfielder at every Primeira Liga club
19 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's midfielders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport Lisboa e Benfica | João Palhinha | £199,000£199k | 1 |
| Futebol Clube do Porto | Séko Fofana | £139,000£139k | 2 |
| Sporting Clube de Portugal | Giorgos Vagiannidis | £24,000£24k | 14 |
| SC Braga | Denis Huseinbašić | £22,000£22k | 17 |
| Gil Vicente | Ricardo Esgaio | £8,000£8k | 24 |
| Rio Ave | Diogo Nascimento | £7,400£7k | 28 |
| Vitória de Guimarães | Lohann Doucet | £6,000£6k | 32 |
| Marítimo | Maxime Dominguez | £5,900£6k | 33 |
| Santa Clara | Andrey | £2,500£3k | 42 |
| Estoril Praia Futebol | Xeka | £2,400£2k | 44 |
| Nacional da Madeira | Filipe Soares | £2,300£2k | 46 |
| Futebol Clube de Alverca | Francisco Chissumba | £2,300£2k | 47 |
| Famalicão | Garcia | £2,200£2k | 50 |
| Tondela | Juan Sebastián Rodríguez | £2,100£2k | 53 |
| Club Football Estrela da Amadora | Kevin Höög Jansson | £2,000£2k | 63 |
| Académico de Viseu Futebol Clube | Luís Silva | £2,000£2k | 60 |
| Casa Pia Atlético Clube | Lawrence Ofori | £2,000£2k | 61 |
| Moreirense | Mateja Stjepanović | £1,900£2k | 69 |
| Futebol Clube de Arouca | Pedro Santos | £1,800£2k | 75 |
The best-paid midfielder in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid midfielder. The Primeira Liga ranks ninth.
| LEAGUE | BEST PAID | WEEKLY | AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Pro League | Otávio | £472,000£472k | £49,687£50k |
| Süper Lig | N'Golo Kanté | £348,000£348k | £21,488£21k |
| Bundesliga | Joshua Kimmich | £315,000£315k | £39,483£39k |
| Premier League | Bruno Fernandes | £300,000£300k | £76,710£77k |
| Major League Soccer | Casemiro | £300,000£300k | £11,731£12k |
| Ligue 1 | Marquinhos | £279,000£279k | £30,015£30k |
| La Liga | Trent Alexander-Arnold | £249,000£249k | £40,838£41k |
| Serie A | John Stones | £200,000£200k | £44,528£45k |
| Primeira Liga | João Palhinha | £199,000£199k | £11,158£11k |
| Championship | Kalvin Phillips | £165,000£165k | £20,131£20k |
| Croatian First League | Ismaël Bennacer | £117,000£117k | £4,206£4k |
| Brasileirão Série A | Arthur | £99,000£99k | £10,842£11k |
| Eredivisie | Lutsharel Geertruida | £99,000£99k | £9,142£9k |
| 2. Bundesliga | Maximilian Arnold | £74,000£74k | £11,170£11k |
| Russian Premier League | Wendel | £71,000£71k | £16,664£17k |
| Liga MX | Carlos Gruezo | £64,000£64k | £6,811£7k |
| League One | Boubakary Soumaré | £58,000£58k | £6,405£6k |
| Serie B | Ali Al Musrati | £55,000£55k | £8,344£8k |
| La Liga 2 | Donny van de Beek | £54,000£54k | £5,199£5k |
| Super Liga | Leandro Paredes | £44,000£44k | £4,100£4k |
| Chinese Super League | Ibrahim Amadou | £42,000£42k | £5,544£6k |
| Scottish Premiership | Callum McGregor | £39,000£39k | £5,790£6k |
| J1 League | Oriol Romeu | £35,000£35k | £4,063£4k |
| Danish Superliga | Philip Billing | £35,000£35k | £7,123£7k |
| Superleague Greece | Christos Zafeiris | £33,000£33k | £7,533£8k |
| Czech First League | Sivert Mannsverk | £33,000£33k | £2,010£2k |
| Belgian Pro League | László Bénes | £25,000£25k | £6,702£7k |
| Ekstraklasa | Karol Linetty | £25,000£25k | £3,410£3k |
| Ligue 2 | Ibou Sissoko | £21,000£21k | £4,966£5k |
| Austrian Bundesliga | Bendegúz Bolla | £20,000£20k | £3,500£4k |
| Belgian Challenger Pro League | Mats Rits | £16,000£16k | £2,048£2k |
| Eliteserien | Hrannar Snær Magnússon | £13,000£13k | £2,231£2k |
| League Two | Joe Williams | £12,000£12k | £2,560£3k |
| Categoría Primera A | Élan Ricardo | £11,000£11k | £3,852£4k |
| Thai League | Roque Mesa | £8,000£8k | £2,247£2k |
| Indian Super League | Lalengmawia | £5,500£6k | £707£707 |
| Veikkausliiga | Alexander Ring | £4,500£5k | £708£708 |
| Scottish Championship | Graeme Shinnie | £4,200£4k | £907£907 |
| National League | Jake Rooney | £4,100£4k | £1,293£1k |
| A-League | Jake Girdwood-Reich | £4,100£4k | £1,219£1k |
| I-League | Jordi Altena | £3,100£3k | £364£364 |
| Canadian Premier League | Manuel Aparicio | £810£810 | £458£458 |
| Meistriliiga | Modou Tambedou | £484£484 | £161£161 |
Frequently asked questions
Who is the highest paid midfielder in the Primeira Liga?
João Palhinha of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, on £199,000 a week in 2026/27, or £10,348,000 a year. Séko Fofana of Futebol Clube do Porto is second on £139,000 a week.
How much do Primeira Liga midfielders earn?
The average Primeira Liga midfielder aged 22 or over earns £11,158 a week, and the median one £2,000. Midfielders take 31% of what the Primeira Liga pays its players of that age.
Which Primeira Liga club pays its midfielders the most?
Sport Lisboa e Benfica, £444,000 a week across the 16 midfielders we hold a wage for, led by João Palhinha on £199,000.
Who is the highest paid midfielder in football?
Of the 43 men's leagues we rank midfielders in, the best-paid is Otávio of Al-Qadsiah Football Club in the Saudi Pro League, on £472,000 a week. The best-paid in the Primeira Liga ranks ninth of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same Primeira Liga squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid Primeira Liga players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what Primeira Liga players are paid at every age, or the Primeira Liga wage bill, club by club.