What footballers are paid at 16
The median 16-year-old in men's football is paid £315 a week in 2026/27, across the 1,223 we hold a wage for. The best paid is Rio Ngumoha at Liverpool, on £25,000 a week, the most paid at 16 in any season since 2016/17.
Half the 16-year-olds we hold are paid £315 a week or less. A quarter are paid more than £385, a tenth more than £778, and 3 are paid £10,000 a week or more.
The best-paid 16-year-olds in 2026/27
The top 25 of the 1,223 priced 16-year-olds in men's football
| # | PLAYER | CLUB | LEAGUE | POSITION | WEEKLY | YEARLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rio Ngumoha | Liverpool | Premier League | AM RL | £25,000 | £1,300,000£1.3m |
| 2 | Luca Williams-Barnett | Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League | AM RLC, F C | £15,000 | £780,000£780k |
| 3 | Jeremy Monga | Swansea City | Championship | AM LC | £10,000 | £520,000£520k |
| 4 | Jake Evans | Northampton Town | League Two | AM RLC, F C | £8,100 | £421,200£421k |
| 5 | Wael Mohya | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Bundesliga | AM LC | £7,400 | £384,800£385k |
| 6 | Mathis Albert | Borussia Dortmund | Bundesliga | AM RLC | £6,900 | £358,800£359k |
| 7 | Joél Drakes-Thomas | Crystal Palace | Premier League | AM RLC | £6,100 | £317,200£317k |
| 8 | Wisdom Mike | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | AM RL | £6,000 | £312,000£312k |
| 9 | Brian Madjo | Aston Villa | Premier League | ST | £5,500 | £286,000£286k |
| 10 | Maycon Cardozo | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | AM RLC | £4,900 | £254,800£255k |
| 11 | Abdellah Ouazane | AFC Ajax | Eredivisie | AM C | £4,500 | £234,000£234k |
| 12 | Nathan De Cat | TSG 1899 Hoffenheim | Bundesliga | DM | £3,900 | £202,800£203k |
| 13 | Tyler Tingey | Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League | D C, DM | £3,600 | £187,200£187k |
| 14 | August De Wannemacker | K Racing Club Genk | Belgian Pro League | AM C | £3,500 | £182,000£182k |
| 15 | Ben Vickery | Manchester City | Premier League | GK | £3,500 | £182,000£182k |
| 16 | Blake Irow | Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League | GK | £3,500 | £182,000£182k |
| 17 | Calvin Diakite | Chelsea | Premier League | D LC | £3,400 | £176,800£177k |
| 18 | Chizzy Ezenwata | Chelsea | Premier League | ST | £3,400 | £176,800£177k |
| 19 | Dante Waite | Chelsea | Premier League | D C | £3,400 | £176,800£177k |
| 20 | Charlie Holland | Chelsea | Premier League | DM, AM C | £3,400 | £176,800£177k |
| 21 | Charlie Holt | Manchester City | Premier League | M C | £3,400 | £176,800£177k |
| 22 | Dante Headley | Manchester City | Premier League | D/WB RL | £3,400 | £176,800£177k |
| 23 | Freddy Bernal | Chelsea | Premier League | GK | £3,300 | £171,600£172k |
| 24 | Finlay Gorman | Manchester City | Premier League | AM C | £3,300 | £171,600£172k |
| 25 | Floyd Samba | Manchester City | Premier League | DM | £3,300 | £171,600£172k |
The median 16-year-old, league by league
2026/27, in every league holding 5 or more priced 16-year-olds
The Bundesliga pays its 16-year-olds the most, a median of £2,400 a week across 13 players. The Scottish Championship pays the least of the 15, at £50.
The highest wages ever paid at 16
Every season since 2016/17, each player's best year at 16
| # | PLAYER | CLUB | SEASON | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rio Ngumoha | Liverpool | 2026/27 | £25,000 |
| 2 | Eduardo Camavinga | Stade Rennais FC | 2019/20 | £20,000 |
| 3 | Pietro Pellegri | AS Monaco | 2017/18 | £16,000 |
| 4 | Luca Williams-Barnett | Tottenham Hotspur | 2026/27 | £15,000 |
| 5 | Li Weijie | Guangzhou FC | 2016/17 | £13,000 |
| 6 | Jeremy Monga | Swansea City | 2026/27 | £10,000 |
| 7 | Rayan Cherki | Olympique Lyonnais | 2020/21 | £8,700 |
| 8 | Warren Zaïre-Emery | Paris Saint-Germain | 2022/23 | £8,400 |
| 9 | Jake Evans | Northampton Town | 2026/27 | £8,100 |
| 10 | Wael Mohya | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 2026/27 | £7,400 |
| 11 | Willem Geubbels | AS Monaco | 2018/19 | £7,400 |
| 12 | Mathis Albert | Borussia Dortmund | 2026/27 | £6,900 |
| 13 | Joél Drakes-Thomas | Crystal Palace | 2026/27 | £6,100 |
| 14 | Wisdom Mike | FC Bayern München | 2026/27 | £6,000 |
| 15 | Brian Madjo | Aston Villa | 2026/27 | £5,500 |
| 16 | Vinícius Júnior | Flamengo | 2017/18 | £5,500 |
| 17 | Helinho | São Paulo | 2016/17 | £5,200 |
| 18 | Hicham Mahou | OGC Nice | 2020/21 | £5,200 |
| 19 | Lucas | São Paulo | 2016/17 | £5,000 |
| 20 | Maycon Cardozo | FC Bayern München | 2026/27 | £4,900 |
The best-paid 16-year-old, season by season
The top wage at 16 in each season we hold, 2016/17 to 2026/27
| SEASON | PLAYER | CLUB | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | Rio Ngumoha | Liverpool | £25,000 |
| 2024/25 | Leonel Eklund | Football Club Nordsjælland | £3,000 |
| 2023/24 | Bailey Rice | Rangers | £3,500 |
| 2022/23 | Warren Zaïre-Emery | Paris Saint-Germain | £8,400 |
| 2021/22 | Ângelo | Santos | £4,000 |
| 2020/21 | Rayan Cherki | Olympique Lyonnais | £8,700 |
| 2019/20 | Eduardo Camavinga | Stade Rennais FC | £20,000 |
| 2018/19 | Willem Geubbels | AS Monaco | £7,400 |
| 2017/18 | Pietro Pellegri | AS Monaco | £16,000 |
| 2016/17 | Li Weijie | Guangzhou FC | £13,000 |
Every age at a glance
2026/27, men's football, 24,475 priced players aged 16 to 38
| AGE | PLAYERS | MEDIAN | TOP 10% FROM | BEST PAID | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 1,223 | £315 | £778 | Rio Ngumoha | £25,000 |
| 17 | 1,480 | £345 | £1,700 | Franco Mastantuono | £104,000 |
| 18 | 2,282 | £370 | £1,900 | Lamine Yamal | £281,000 |
| 19 | 2,234 | £482 | £3,100 | Roger Fernandes | £186,000 |
| 20 | 1,895 | £623 | £7,100 | Kenan Yıldız | £184,000 |
| 21 | 1,707 | £900 | £10,000 | Jhon Durán | £300,000 |
| 22 | 1,521 | £1,700 | £16,000 | Jamal Musiala | £414,000 |
| 23 | 1,467 | £2,300 | £19,000 | Bukayo Saka | £300,000 |
| 24 | 1,471 | £2,700 | £23,000 | Erling Haaland | £450,000 |
| 25 | 1,461 | £3,100 | £29,000 | João Félix | £580,000 |
| 26 | 1,228 | £3,400 | £29,000 | Kylian Mbappé | £497,000 |
| 27 | 1,175 | £4,500 | £35,000 | Théo Hernández | £331,000 |
| 28 | 1,112 | £4,650 | £33,000 | Rúben Neves | £414,000 |
| 29 | 887 | £4,300 | £34,000 | Kingsley Coman | £414,000 |
| 30 | 806 | £4,400 | £32,000 | Otávio | £472,000 |
| 31 | 654 | £4,500 | £35,000 | Harry Kane | £381,000 |
| 32 | 609 | £4,500 | £29,000 | Jan Oblak | £308,000 |
| 33 | 426 | £4,150 | £30,000 | Sadio Mané | £625,000 |
| 34 | 336 | £3,900 | £34,000 | Kalidou Koulibaly | £497,000 |
| 35 | 212 | £3,550 | £24,000 | Nacho | £166,000 |
| 36 | 153 | £4,100 | £27,000 | Robert Lewandowski | £432,000 |
| 37 | 73 | £3,100 | £12,000 | Iago Aspas | £44,000 |
| 38 | 63 | £4,400 | £22,000 | Lionel Messi | £222,000 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 16-year-old footballer earn a week?
The median is £315 a week in 2026/27, across the 1,223 16-year-olds we hold a wage for in men's football. A quarter of them are paid more than £385 a week and a tenth more than £778.
Who is the highest-paid 16-year-old footballer?
Rio Ngumoha at Liverpool, on £25,000 a week, which is £1,300,000 a year. Luca Williams-Barnett at Tottenham Hotspur is next on £15,000 a week.
What is the most a 16-year-old footballer has been paid?
Rio Ngumoha, on £25,000 a week at Liverpool in 2026/27, the highest wage at 16 in any season since 2016/17. Eduardo Camavinga is second, on £20,000 at Stade Rennais FC in 2019/20.
How many 16-year-old footballers are paid £10,000 a week?
3 of the 1,223, which is 0%. At 17 it is 17 of 1,480.
At what age are footballers paid the most?
28. The median 28-year-old is paid £4,650 a week in 2026/27, the highest of any age. At 16 the median is £315.
Where to next
The same wages, a year either side and league by league
At 17, it is £345. See how pay rises and falls across a career , or Bundesliga wages by age .