What footballers are paid at 26
The median 26-year-old in men's football is paid £3,400 a week in 2026/27, across the 1,228 we hold a wage for. The best paid is Kylian Mbappé at Real Madrid, on £497,000 a week. The most paid at 26 since 2016/17 is Neymar, on £636,000 a week at Paris Saint-Germain in 2018/19.
Half the 26-year-olds we hold are paid £3,400 a week or less. A quarter are paid more than £10,000, a tenth more than £29,000, and 324 are paid £10,000 a week or more.
The best-paid 26-year-olds in 2026/27
The top 25 of the 1,228 priced 26-year-olds in men's football
| # | PLAYER | CLUB | LEAGUE | POSITION | WEEKLY | YEARLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | La Liga | AM RL, ST | £497,000 | £25,844,000£25.8m |
| 2 | Victor Osimhen | Galatasaray A.Ş. | Süper Lig | ST | £436,000 | £22,672,000£22.7m |
| 3 | Dayot Upamecano | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | D C | £331,000 | £17,212,000£17.2m |
| 4 | Mateo Retegui | Al-Qadsiah Football Club | Saudi Pro League | ST | £331,000 | £17,212,000£17.2m |
| 5 | Omar Marmoush | Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League | AM RLC, F C | £260,000 | £13,520,000£13.5m |
| 6 | Moussa Diaby | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Bundesliga | AM RL | £254,000 | £13,208,000£13.2m |
| 7 | Declan Rice | Arsenal | Premier League | DM | £250,000 | £13,000,000£13.0m |
| 8 | Gianluigi Donnarumma | Manchester City | Premier League | GK | £250,000 | £13,000,000£13.0m |
| 9 | Trent Alexander-Arnold | Real Madrid | La Liga | D/WB R, DM | £249,000 | £12,948,000£12.9m |
| 10 | Achraf Hakimi | Paris Saint-Germain | Ligue 1 | D/WB/M R | £242,000 | £12,584,000£12.6m |
| 11 | Jules Koundé | Barcelona | La Liga | D RC | £225,000 | £11,700,000£11.7m |
| 12 | Martin Ødegaard | Arsenal | Premier League | AM C | £225,000 | £11,700,000£11.7m |
| 13 | Kai Havertz | Arsenal | Premier League | AM/F C | £220,000 | £11,440,000£11.4m |
| 14 | Ronald Araujo | Liverpool | Premier League | D C | £207,000 | £10,764,000£10.8m |
| 15 | Matheus Cunha | Manchester United | Premier League | AM RLC, F C | £200,000 | £10,400,000£10.4m |
| 16 | Mason Mount | Manchester United | Premier League | AM RLC | £200,000 | £10,400,000£10.4m |
| 17 | Federico Valverde | Real Madrid | La Liga | DM, AM RC | £181,000 | £9,412,000£9.4m |
| 18 | Alexis Mac Allister | Liverpool | Premier League | DM, AM C | £175,000 | £9,100,000£9.1m |
| 19 | Alessandro Bastoni | Inter Milan | Serie A | D C | £169,000 | £8,788,000£8.8m |
| 20 | Roger Ibañez | Al-Ahli Saudi Sport Club | Saudi Pro League | D C | £166,000 | £8,632,000£8.6m |
| 21 | Cody Gakpo | Liverpool | Premier League | AM RLC, F C | £165,000 | £8,580,000£8.6m |
| 22 | Randal Kolo Muani | Juventus | Serie A | AM RL, ST | £149,000 | £7,748,000£7.7m |
| 23 | Ibrahima Konaté | Real Madrid | La Liga | D C | £140,000 | £7,280,000£7.3m |
| 24 | Matheus Nunes | Manchester City | Premier League | D/WB R, AM RC | £130,000 | £6,760,000£6.8m |
| 25 | Donyell Malen | Associazione Sportiva Roma | Serie A | AM RL, ST | £130,000 | £6,760,000£6.8m |
The median 26-year-old, league by league
2026/27, in every league holding 5 or more priced 26-year-olds
The Premier League pays its 26-year-olds the most, a median of £74,000 a week across 39 players. The Meistriliiga pays the least of the 43, at £122.
The women's game at 26
2026/27, in every women's league holding 5 or more priced 26-year-olds. Across men's football the median at 26 is £3,400 a week.
| LEAGUE | PLAYERS | MEDIAN | BEST PAID | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Super League | 31 | £1,200 | Alessia Russo | £5,500 |
| NWSL | 30 | £1,150 | Temwa Chawinga | £2,600 |
| Frauen-Bundesliga | 17 | £611 | Giulia Gwinn | £4,200 |
| Liga F | 19 | £514 | Sara Holmgaard | £1,600 |
The highest wages ever paid at 26
Every season since 2016/17, each player's best year at 26
| # | PLAYER | CLUB | SEASON | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neymar | Paris Saint-Germain | 2018/19 | £636,000 |
| 2 | Oscar | Shanghai Port | 2018/19 | £563,000 |
| 3 | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | 2026/27 | £497,000 |
| 4 | Darwin Núñez | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | 2024/25 | £478,000 |
| 5 | Gareth Bale | Real Madrid | 2016/17 | £463,000 |
| 6 | Victor Osimhen | Galatasaray A.Ş. | 2026/27 | £436,000 |
| 7 | Rúben Neves | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | 2023/24 | £410,000 |
| 8 | Philippe Coutinho | Barcelona | 2018/19 | £399,000 |
| 9 | Philippe Coutinho | Barcelona | 2018/19 | £399,000 |
| 10 | Talisca | Guangzhou FC | 2020/21 | £384,000 |
| 11 | Antoine Griezmann | Atlético Madrid | 2017/18 | £368,000 |
| 12 | Franck Kessié | Al-Ahli Saudi Sport Club | 2023/24 | £362,000 |
| 13 | Dayot Upamecano | FC Bayern München | 2026/27 | £331,000 |
| 14 | Mateo Retegui | Al-Qadsiah Football Club | 2026/27 | £331,000 |
| 15 | Toni Kroos | Real Madrid | 2016/17 | £331,000 |
| 16 | Moussa Diaby | Al-Ittihad Club (KSA) | 2024/25 | £308,000 |
| 17 | Raheem Sterling | Manchester City | 2021/22 | £300,000 |
| 18 | Joshua Kimmich | FC Bayern München | 2021/22 | £296,000 |
| 19 | Malcom | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | 2023/24 | £296,000 |
| 20 | Paul Pogba | Manchester United | 2019/20 | £290,000 |
The best-paid 26-year-old, season by season
The top wage at 26 in each season we hold, 2016/17 to 2026/27
| SEASON | PLAYER | CLUB | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | £497,000 |
| 2024/25 | Darwin Núñez | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | £478,000 |
| 2023/24 | Rúben Neves | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | £410,000 |
| 2022/23 | Leroy Sané | FC Bayern München | £281,000 |
| 2021/22 | Raheem Sterling | Manchester City | £300,000 |
| 2020/21 | Talisca | Guangzhou FC | £384,000 |
| 2019/20 | Paul Pogba | Manchester United | £290,000 |
| 2018/19 | Neymar | Paris Saint-Germain | £636,000 |
| 2017/18 | Antoine Griezmann | Atlético Madrid | £368,000 |
| 2016/17 | Gareth Bale | Real Madrid | £463,000 |
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 26-year-old footballer earn a week?
The median is £3,400 a week in 2026/27, across the 1,228 26-year-olds we hold a wage for in men's football. A quarter of them are paid more than £10,000 a week and a tenth more than £29,000.
Who is the highest-paid 26-year-old footballer?
Kylian Mbappé at Real Madrid, on £497,000 a week, which is £25,844,000 a year. Victor Osimhen at Galatasaray A.Ş. is next on £436,000 a week.
What is the most a 26-year-old footballer has been paid?
Neymar, on £636,000 a week at Paris Saint-Germain in 2018/19, the highest wage at 26 in any season since 2016/17. Oscar is second, on £563,000 at Shanghai Port in 2018/19.
How many 26-year-old footballers are paid £10,000 a week?
324 of the 1,228, which is 26%. At 27 it is 336 of 1,175.
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 26 the median is £3,400.
Where to next
The same wages, a year either side and league by league
At 25, the median is £3,100 a week. At 27, it is £4,500. See how pay rises and falls across a career , or Premier League wages by age .