VEIKKAUSLIIGA · MIDFIELDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid Veikkausliiga midfielders
Alexander Ring is the best-paid midfielder in the Veikkausliiga, on £4,500 a week at Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi, or £234,000 a year. Emmanuel Boateng is next on £3,300 at Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. We hold wages for 54 Veikkausliiga midfielders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £5k
AVERAGE WAGE £708
SHARE OF WAGE BILL18%
TOP 10 A WEEK £16k
WAGES HELD54
The 50 best-paid Veikkausliiga 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 | Alexander Ring | £4,500£5k | £234,000£234k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 34 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Finland |
| 2 | Emmanuel Boateng | £3,300£3k | £171,600£172k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 28 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Ghana |
| 3 | Leonel Montano | £2,000£2k | £104,000£104k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 25 | Left-back, left midfielder | Denmark |
| 4 | Lucas Lingman | £2,000£2k | £104,000£104k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 27 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Finland |
| 5 | Evgeny Bashkirov | £682£682 | £35,464£35k | IF Gnistan | 34 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Russia |
| 6 | Anton Popovitch | £664£664 | £34,528£35k | Ilves | 28 | Defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 7 | Ayo Obileye | £630£630 | £32,760£33k | IF Gnistan | 30 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Nigeria |
| 8 | Adam Vidjeskog | £615£615 | £31,980£32k | FF Jaro | 27 | Defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 9 | Bismark Ampofo | £592£592 | £30,784£31k | FC Inter Turku | 22 | Defensive midfielder | Ghana |
| 10 | Matias Ojala | £559£559 | £29,068£29k | AC Oulu | 30 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Finland |
| 11 | Jesper Svenungsen Skau | £553£553 | £28,756£29k | FF Jaro | 22 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Norway |
| 12 | Armaan Wilson | £544£544 | £28,288£28k | Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | 23 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Canada |
| 13 | Emmanuel Patut | £528£528 | £27,456£27k | IFK Mariehamn | 22 | Defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 14 | Fabian Østigård Ness | £507£507 | £26,364£26k | FF Jaro | 25 | Left-back, left midfielder | Norway |
| 15 | Joona Veteli | £505£505 | £26,260£26k | Ilves | 30 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Finland |
| 16 | Markus Arsalo | £496£496 | £25,792£26k | Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | 22 | Defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 17 | Michael Ogungbaro | £495£495 | £25,740£26k | FF Jaro | 29 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Nigeria |
| 18 | Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan | £481£481 | £25,012£25k | Vaasan Palloseura | 26 | Full-back, wide midfielder | Finland |
| 19 | Jerry Voutilainen | £469£469 | £24,388£24k | Kuopion Palloseura | 30 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Finland |
| 20 | Iiro Järvinen | £464£464 | £24,128£24k | FC Inter Turku | 28 | Right wing-back, central midfielder | Finland |
| 21 | Edmund Arko-Mensah | £461£461 | £23,972£24k | IF Gnistan | 23 | Left-back, left midfielder | Ghana |
| 22 | Ollie Whyte | £446£446 | £23,192£23k | Valkeakosken Haka | 25 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | New Zealand |
| 23 | Jere Kallinen | £442£442 | £22,984£23k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 23 | Defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 24 | Jussi Niska | £440£440 | £22,880£23k | FC Inter Turku | 22 | Left-back, left midfielder | Finland |
| 25 | Jim Myrevik | £439£439 | £22,828£23k | FF Jaro | 29 | Left-back, left midfielder | Finland |
| 26 | Noah Nurmi | £438£438 | £22,776£23k | IFK Mariehamn | 24 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 27 | Valentín Gasc | £435£435 | £22,620£23k | Kuopion Palloseura | 24 | Defensive midfielder | Argentina |
| 28 | Salim Yussif | £393£393 | £20,436£20k | Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | 23 | Right-back, defensive midfielder | Ghana |
| 29 | Miska Ylitolva | £390£390 | £20,280£20k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 21 | Right-back, right midfielder | Finland |
| 30 | Kaius Simojoki | £389£389 | £20,228£20k | Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | 19 | Defender, defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 31 | Onni Tiihonen | £363£363 | £18,876£19k | AC Oulu | 25 | Central midfielder | Finland |
| 32 | Nikos Dosis | £320£320 | £16,640£17k | IFK Mariehamn | 24 | Defensive midfielder | Sweden |
| 33 | Jelle van der Heyden | £319£319 | £16,588£17k | IFK Mariehamn | 29 | Defensive midfielder | Netherlands |
| 34 | Michael Fonsell | £310£310 | £16,120£16k | IFK Mariehamn | 21 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 35 | Mats Pedersen | £289£289 | £15,028£15k | FF Jaro | 20 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Norway |
| 36 | Miika Niemi | £289£289 | £15,028£15k | Vaasan Palloseura | 31 | Centre-back, right midfielder | Finland |
| 37 | Valentin Purosalo | £286£286 | £14,872£15k | Valkeakosken Haka | 19 | Right-back, right midfielder | Finland |
| 38 | Oliver Kass Kawo | £281£281 | £14,612£15k | FF Jaro | 23 | Defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Syria |
| 39 | Paulo Lima | £280£280 | £14,560£15k | Vaasan Palloseura | 27 | Defensive midfielder | São Tomé & Príncipe |
| 40 | Jesper Karlsson | £270£270 | £14,040£14k | Valkeakosken Haka | 25 | Central midfielder | Finland |
| 41 | Janne-Pekka Laine | £257£257 | £13,364£13k | FC Inter Turku | 24 | Defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 42 | Aniis Machaal | £257£257 | £13,364£13k | Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | 18 | Defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 43 | Saku Savolainen | £241£241 | £12,532£13k | Kuopion Palloseura | 28 | Right-back, right midfielder | Finland |
| 44 | Iiro Mendolin | £239£239 | £12,428£12k | AC Oulu | 19 | Defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 45 | Niilo Kujasalo | £239£239 | £12,428£12k | Kuopion Palloseura | 21 | Defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 46 | Aapo Boström | £239£239 | £12,428£12k | Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | 19 | Defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 47 | Gabriel Europaeus | £213£213 | £11,076£11k | IF Gnistan | 20 | Defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 48 | Yassin Daoussi | £190£190 | £9,880£10k | Vaasan Palloseura | 25 | Right-back, right midfielder | Finland |
| 49 | Benjamin Dahlström | £165£165 | £8,580£9k | IF Gnistan | 21 | Left-back, defensive midfielder | Finland |
| 50 | Julius Paananen | £40£40 | £2,080£2k | AC Oulu | 18 | 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
Midfielders take 18% 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 midfielders the most
Every midfielder wage we hold at each Veikkausliiga club, added together, a week
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi pay 8 midfielders £13,061 a week between them, and Alexander Ring takes 34% of it.
The best-paid midfielder at every Veikkausliiga club
12 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's midfielders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi | Alexander Ring | £4,500£5k | 1 |
| IF Gnistan | Evgeny Bashkirov | £682£682 | 5 |
| Ilves | Anton Popovitch | £664£664 | 6 |
| FF Jaro | Adam Vidjeskog | £615£615 | 8 |
| FC Inter Turku | Bismark Ampofo | £592£592 | 9 |
| AC Oulu | Matias Ojala | £559£559 | 10 |
| Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho | Armaan Wilson | £544£544 | 12 |
| IFK Mariehamn | Emmanuel Patut | £528£528 | 13 |
| Vaasan Palloseura | Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan | £481£481 | 18 |
| Kuopion Palloseura | Jerry Voutilainen | £469£469 | 19 |
| Valkeakosken Haka | Ollie Whyte | £446£446 | 22 |
| Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat | No wage held | - | - |
The best-paid midfielder in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid midfielder. The Veikkausliiga ranks 37th.
| 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 Veikkausliiga?
Alexander Ring of Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi, on £4,500 a week in 2026/27, or £234,000 a year. Emmanuel Boateng of Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi is second on £3,300 a week.
How much do Veikkausliiga midfielders earn?
The average Veikkausliiga midfielder aged 22 or over earns £708 a week, and the median one £467. Midfielders take 18% of what the Veikkausliiga pays its players of that age.
Which Veikkausliiga club pays its midfielders the most?
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi, £13,061 a week across the 8 midfielders we hold a wage for, led by Alexander Ring on £4,500.
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 Veikkausliiga ranks 37th 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.