What footballers are paid at 18
The median 18-year-old in men's football is paid £370 a week in 2026/27, across the 2,282 we hold a wage for. The best paid is Lamine Yamal at Barcelona, on £281,000 a week. The most paid at 18 since 2016/17 is Kylian Mbappé, on £308,000 a week at Paris Saint-Germain in 2017/18.
Half the 18-year-olds we hold are paid £370 a week or less. A quarter are paid more than £680, a tenth more than £1,900, and 51 are paid £10,000 a week or more.
The best-paid 18-year-olds in 2026/27
The top 25 of the 2,282 priced 18-year-olds in men's football
| # | PLAYER | CLUB | LEAGUE | POSITION | WEEKLY | YEARLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | La Liga | AM R | £281,000 | £14,612,000£14.6m |
| 2 | Pau Cubarsí | Barcelona | La Liga | D C | £85,000 | £4,420,000£4.4m |
| 3 | Estêvão | Chelsea | Premier League | AM RLC | £72,000 | £3,744,000£3.7m |
| 4 | Endrick | Real Madrid | La Liga | AM R, ST | £69,000 | £3,588,000£3.6m |
| 5 | Myles Lewis-Skelly | Arsenal | Premier League | D L, DM | £69,000 | £3,588,000£3.6m |
| 6 | Ethan Nwaneri | Borussia Dortmund | Bundesliga | AM RLC | £62,000 | £3,224,000£3.2m |
| 7 | Geovany Quenda | Chelsea | Premier League | AM RL | £61,000 | £3,172,000£3.2m |
| 8 | Giovanni Leoni | Liverpool | Premier League | D C | £51,000 | £2,652,000£2.7m |
| 9 | Robinio Vaz | Hull City | Premier League | AM L, ST | £44,000 | £2,288,000£2.3m |
| 10 | Rayan | AFC Bournemouth | Premier League | AM R, ST | £43,000 | £2,236,000£2.2m |
| 11 | Chris Rigg | Sunderland | Premier League | DM, AM RC | £40,000 | £2,080,000£2.1m |
| 12 | Yan Diomandé | Real Madrid | La Liga | AM RL | £37,000 | £1,924,000£1.9m |
| 13 | Charalabos Kostoulas | Brighton & Hove Albion | Premier League | AM RLC, F C | £31,000 | £1,612,000£1.6m |
| 14 | Jaydee Canvot | Crystal Palace | Premier League | D RC, DM | £30,000 | £1,560,000£1.6m |
| 15 | Ricardo Mathias | Al-Ahli Saudi Sport Club | Saudi Pro League | ST | £29,000 | £1,508,000£1.5m |
| 16 | Andrija Maksimović | RB Leipzig | Bundesliga | AM RC | £28,000 | £1,456,000£1.5m |
| 17 | Christian Kofane | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Bundesliga | AM/F C | £27,000 | £1,404,000£1.4m |
| 18 | Finn Jeltsch | VfB Stuttgart | Bundesliga | D RC, DM | £27,000 | £1,404,000£1.4m |
| 19 | Luka Vušković | Brighton & Hove Albion | Premier League | D C | £25,000 | £1,300,000£1.3m |
| 20 | Trey Nyoni | Liverpool | Premier League | DM, AM C | £25,000 | £1,300,000£1.3m |
| 21 | Sani Suleiman | RB Leipzig | Bundesliga | AM RL | £23,000 | £1,196,000£1.2m |
| 22 | Antonio Cordero | Cádiz | La Liga 2 | AM RL | £23,000 | £1,196,000£1.2m |
| 23 | Tidiam Gomis | RB Leipzig | Bundesliga | AM RL | £22,000 | £1,144,000£1.1m |
| 24 | Diego León | Manchester United | Premier League | D/WB L | £22,000 | £1,144,000£1.1m |
| 25 | Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit | Hamburger Sport-Verein | Bundesliga | AM RL | £20,000 | £1,040,000£1.0m |
The median 18-year-old, league by league
2026/27, in every league holding 5 or more priced 18-year-olds
La Liga pays its 18-year-olds the most, a median of £14,000 a week across 11 players. The Veikkausliiga pays the least of the 40, at £40.
The women's game at 18
2026/27, in every women's league holding 5 or more priced 18-year-olds. Across men's football the median at 18 is £370 a week.
| LEAGUE | PLAYERS | MEDIAN | BEST PAID | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Super League | 14 | £655 | Iman Beney | £1,100 |
| Liga F | 8 | £451 | Vicky López | £1,500 |
| Frauen-Bundesliga | 17 | £395 | Alara Şehitler | £1,500 |
The highest wages ever paid at 18
Every season since 2016/17, each player's best year at 18
| # | PLAYER | CLUB | SEASON | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kylian Mbappé | Paris Saint-Germain | 2017/18 | £308,000 |
| 2 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | 2026/27 | £281,000 |
| 3 | Gianluigi Donnarumma | AC Milan | 2017/18 | £180,000 |
| 4 | Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund | 2019/20 | £133,000 |
| 5 | Eduardo Camavinga | Real Madrid | 2021/22 | £127,000 |
| 6 | Gavi (Pablo Páez) | Barcelona | 2023/24 | £124,000 |
| 7 | Callum Hudson-Odoi | Chelsea | 2019/20 | £120,000 |
| 8 | Brahim Díaz | Real Madrid | 2018/19 | £112,000 |
| 9 | Ansu Fati | Barcelona | 2021/22 | £105,000 |
| 10 | Carney Chukwuemeka | Chelsea | 2022/23 | £100,000 |
| 11 | Arda Güler | Real Madrid | 2023/24 | £92,000 |
| 12 | Pau Cubarsí | Barcelona | 2026/27 | £85,000 |
| 13 | Martin Ødegaard | sc Heerenveen | 2017/18 | £83,000 |
| 14 | Jamal Musiala | FC Bayern München | 2021/22 | £82,000 |
| 15 | Mason Greenwood | Manchester United | 2020/21 | £74,000 |
| 16 | Estêvão | Chelsea | 2026/27 | £72,000 |
| 17 | Endrick | Real Madrid | 2026/27 | £69,000 |
| 18 | Myles Lewis-Skelly | Arsenal | 2026/27 | £69,000 |
| 19 | Rodrygo | Real Madrid | 2019/20 | £69,000 |
| 20 | Rodrigo Mora | Futebol Clube do Porto | 2024/25 | £67,000 |
The best-paid 18-year-old, season by season
The top wage at 18 in each season we hold, 2016/17 to 2026/27
| SEASON | PLAYER | CLUB | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | £281,000 |
| 2024/25 | Rodrigo Mora | Futebol Clube do Porto | £67,000 |
| 2023/24 | Gavi (Pablo Páez) | Barcelona | £124,000 |
| 2022/23 | Carney Chukwuemeka | Chelsea | £100,000 |
| 2021/22 | Eduardo Camavinga | Real Madrid | £127,000 |
| 2020/21 | Mason Greenwood | Manchester United | £74,000 |
| 2019/20 | Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund | £133,000 |
| 2018/19 | Brahim Díaz | Real Madrid | £112,000 |
| 2017/18 | Kylian Mbappé | Paris Saint-Germain | £308,000 |
| 2016/17 | Amadou Diawara | Napoli | £40,000 |
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 an 18-year-old footballer earn a week?
The median is £370 a week in 2026/27, across the 2,282 18-year-olds we hold a wage for in men's football. A quarter of them are paid more than £680 a week and a tenth more than £1,900.
Who is the highest-paid 18-year-old footballer?
Lamine Yamal at Barcelona, on £281,000 a week, which is £14,612,000 a year. Pau Cubarsí at Barcelona is next on £85,000 a week.
What is the most an 18-year-old footballer has been paid?
Kylian Mbappé, on £308,000 a week at Paris Saint-Germain in 2017/18, the highest wage at 18 in any season since 2016/17. Lamine Yamal is second, on £281,000 at Barcelona in 2026/27.
How many 18-year-old footballers are paid £10,000 a week?
51 of the 2,282, which is 2%. At 19 it is 88 of 2,234.
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 18 the median is £370.
Where to next
The same wages, a year either side and league by league
At 17, the median is £345 a week. At 19, it is £482. See how pay rises and falls across a career , or La Liga wages by age .