VEIKKAUSLIIGA · DEFENDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid Veikkausliiga defenders
Alfie Cicale and Ville Tikkanen are the best-paid defenders in the Veikkausliiga, on £2,500 a week each, or £130,000 a year. Daniel O'Shaughnessy is next on £2,400 at Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. We hold wages for 81 Veikkausliiga defenders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £3k
AVERAGE WAGE £646
SHARE OF WAGE BILL36%
TOP 10 A WEEK £17k
WAGES HELD81
The 50 best-paid Veikkausliiga 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 | Alfie Cicale | £2,500£3k | £130,000£130k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 23 | Left wing-back, left winger | England |
| 2 | Ville Tikkanen | £2,500£3k | £130,000£130k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 25 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 3 | Daniel O'Shaughnessy | £2,400£2k | £124,800£125k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 30 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 4 | Leonel Montano | £2,000£2k | £104,000£104k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 25 | Left-back, left midfielder | Denmark |
| 5 | Mihailo Bogićević | £1,900£2k | £98,800£99k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 27 | Centre-back | Switzerland |
| 6 | Till Cissokho | £1,600£2k | £83,200£83k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 25 | Centre-back | France |
| 7 | Taneli Hämäläinen | £1,600£2k | £83,200£83k | Kuopion Palloseura | 24 | Defender | Finland |
| 8 | Brooklyn Lyons-Foster | £1,500£2k | £78,000£78k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 24 | Defender | England |
| 9 | Clinton Antwi | £755£755 | £39,260£39k | Kuopion Palloseura | 25 | Left-back | Ghana |
| 10 | Albin Granlund | £659£659 | £34,268£34k | FC Inter Turku | 35 | Defender | Finland |
| 11 | Ayo Obileye | £630£630 | £32,760£33k | IF Gnistan | 30 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Nigeria |
| 12 | Julius Tauriainen | £598£598 | £31,096£31k | FC Inter Turku | 24 | Full-back | Finland |
| 13 | Niklas Friberg | £596£596 | £30,992£31k | Valkeakosken Haka | 29 | Defender | Finland |
| 14 | Sauli Väisänen | £581£581 | £30,212£30k | Ilves | 31 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 15 | Eetu Mömmö | £576£576 | £29,952£30k | Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | 23 | Left-back, winger | Finland |
| 16 | Jayden Turfkruier | £560£560 | £29,120£29k | Vaasan Palloseura | 22 | Left wing-back, left winger | Suriname |
| 17 | Jesper Svenungsen Skau | £553£553 | £28,756£29k | FF Jaro | 22 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Norway |
| 18 | Armaan Wilson | £544£544 | £28,288£28k | Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | 23 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Canada |
| 19 | Max Bjurstrøm | £522£522 | £27,144£27k | IF Gnistan | 19 | Right-back | Norway |
| 20 | Kelvin Pires | £516£516 | £26,832£27k | Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | 25 | Centre-back | Cape Verde |
| 21 | Juhani Ojala | £514£514 | £26,728£27k | IF Gnistan | 36 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 22 | Juuso Hämäläinen | £512£512 | £26,624£27k | FC Inter Turku | 31 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 23 | Andre Raymond | £512£512 | £26,624£27k | Ilves | 24 | Left-back | Trinidad & Tobago |
| 24 | Aron Bjonbäck | £507£507 | £26,364£26k | FF Jaro | 23 | Full-back | Finland |
| 25 | Fabian Østigård Ness | £507£507 | £26,364£26k | FF Jaro | 25 | Left-back, left midfielder | Norway |
| 26 | Erik Gunnarsson | £503£503 | £26,156£26k | FF Jaro | 26 | Centre-back | Sweden |
| 27 | Matias Rale | £502£502 | £26,104£26k | Ilves | 24 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 28 | Eero-Matti Auvinen | £500£500 | £26,000£26k | Valkeakosken Haka | 29 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 29 | Michael Ogungbaro | £495£495 | £25,740£26k | FF Jaro | 29 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Nigeria |
| 30 | Luka Kuittinen | £492£492 | £25,584£26k | FC Inter Turku | 22 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 31 | Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan | £481£481 | £25,012£25k | Vaasan Palloseura | 26 | Full-back, wide midfielder | Finland |
| 32 | Martti Haukioja | £475£475 | £24,700£25k | Vaasan Palloseura | 25 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 33 | Juha Pirinen | £468£468 | £24,336£24k | AC Oulu | 33 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 34 | Kalle Wallius | £468£468 | £24,336£24k | Ilves | 22 | Right-back | Finland |
| 35 | Samuel Chukwudi | £465£465 | £24,180£24k | Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | 22 | Centre-back | Faroe Islands |
| 36 | Iiro Järvinen | £464£464 | £24,128£24k | FC Inter Turku | 28 | Right wing-back, central midfielder | Finland |
| 37 | Edmund Arko-Mensah | £461£461 | £23,972£24k | IF Gnistan | 23 | Left-back, left midfielder | Ghana |
| 38 | Rachide Gnanou | £447£447 | £23,244£23k | IF Gnistan | 20 | Centre-back | Burkina Faso |
| 39 | Jussi Niska | £440£440 | £22,880£23k | FC Inter Turku | 22 | Left-back, left midfielder | Finland |
| 40 | Jim Myrevik | £439£439 | £22,828£23k | FF Jaro | 29 | Left-back, left midfielder | Finland |
| 41 | Noah Nurmi | £438£438 | £22,776£23k | IFK Mariehamn | 24 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 42 | Seth Saarinen | £436£436 | £22,672£23k | FC Inter Turku | 24 | Right-back | Finland |
| 43 | Tuomas Kaukua | £435£435 | £22,620£23k | AC Oulu | 24 | Left-back, winger | Finland |
| 44 | Gabriel Oksanen | £427£427 | £22,204£22k | Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | 18 | Right-back | Finland |
| 45 | Yeboah Amankwah | £424£424 | £22,048£22k | IFK Mariehamn | 24 | Centre-back | Ghana |
| 46 | Mikko Pitkänen | £410£410 | £21,320£21k | AC Oulu | 28 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 47 | Johan Brunell | £396£396 | £20,592£21k | FF Jaro | 34 | Centre-back | Finland |
| 48 | Salim Yussif | £393£393 | £20,436£20k | Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | 23 | Right-back, defensive midfielder | Ghana |
| 49 | Miska Ylitolva | £390£390 | £20,280£20k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 21 | Right-back, right midfielder | Finland |
| 50 | Kaius Simojoki | £389£389 | £20,228£20k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 19 | Defender, defensive midfielder | Finland |
What each position earns in the Veikkausliiga
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Defenders take 36% of what the Veikkausliiga 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 Veikkausliiga club, added together, a week
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi pay 11 defenders £15,458 a week between them, and Alfie Cicale takes 16% of it.
The best-paid defender at every Veikkausliiga club
12 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's defenders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | Alfie Cicale | £2,500£3k | 1 |
| Kuopion Palloseura | Taneli Hämäläinen | £1,600£2k | 7 |
| FC Inter Turku | Albin Granlund | £659£659 | 10 |
| IF Gnistan | Ayo Obileye | £630£630 | 11 |
| Valkeakosken Haka | Niklas Friberg | £596£596 | 13 |
| Ilves | Sauli Väisänen | £581£581 | 14 |
| Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | Eetu Mömmö | £576£576 | 15 |
| Vaasan Palloseura | Jayden Turfkruier | £560£560 | 16 |
| FF Jaro | Jesper Svenungsen Skau | £553£553 | 17 |
| AC Oulu | Juha Pirinen | £468£468 | 33 |
| IFK Mariehamn | Noah Nurmi | £438£438 | 41 |
| Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat | Foday Manneh | £239£239 | 70 |
The best-paid defender in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid defender. The Veikkausliiga ranks 41st.
| 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 Veikkausliiga?
Alfie Cicale of Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi and Ville Tikkanen of Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi, on £2,500 a week each in 2026/27, or £130,000 a year.
How much do Veikkausliiga defenders earn?
The average Veikkausliiga defender aged 22 or over earns £646 a week, and the median one £478. Defenders take 36% of what the Veikkausliiga pays its players of that age.
Which Veikkausliiga club pays its defenders the most?
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi, £15,458 a week across the 11 defenders we hold a wage for, led by Alfie Cicale on £2,500.
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 Veikkausliiga ranks 41st of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same Veikkausliiga squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid Veikkausliiga players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what Veikkausliiga players are paid at every age, or the Veikkausliiga wage bill, club by club.