What footballers are paid at 28
The median 28-year-old in men's football is paid £4,650 a week in 2026/27, across the 1,112 we hold a wage for. The best paid is Rúben Neves at Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club, on £414,000 a week. The most paid at 28 since 2016/17 is Neymar, on £859,000 a week at Paris Saint-Germain in 2020/21.
Half the 28-year-olds we hold are paid £4,650 a week or less. A quarter are paid more than £12,000, a tenth more than £33,000, and 330 are paid £10,000 a week or more.
The best-paid 28-year-olds in 2026/27
The top 25 of the 1,112 priced 28-year-olds in men's football
| # | PLAYER | CLUB | LEAGUE | POSITION | WEEKLY | YEARLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rúben Neves | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | Saudi Pro League | DM | £414,000 | £21,528,000£21.5m |
| 2 | Ousmane Dembélé | Paris Saint-Germain | Ligue 1 | AM RL, ST | £332,000 | £17,264,000£17.3m |
| 3 | Gabriel Jesus | Barcelona | La Liga | AM RL, ST | £265,000 | £13,780,000£13.8m |
| 4 | Youssef En-Nesyri | Al-Ittihad Club (KSA) | Saudi Pro League | ST | £261,000 | £13,572,000£13.6m |
| 5 | Raphinha | Barcelona | La Liga | AM RLC | £242,000 | £12,584,000£12.6m |
| 6 | Luis Díaz | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | AM RL | £232,000 | £12,064,000£12.1m |
| 7 | Frenkie de Jong | Barcelona | La Liga | DM | £207,000 | £10,764,000£10.8m |
| 8 | Rúben Dias | Manchester City | Premier League | D C | £200,000 | £10,400,000£10.4m |
| 9 | Nicolò Barella | Inter Milan | Serie A | M C | £200,000 | £10,400,000£10.4m |
| 10 | Kim Min-Jae | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | D C | £199,000 | £10,348,000£10.3m |
| 11 | Youri Tielemans | Manchester United | Premier League | DM, AM C | £155,000 | £8,060,000£8.1m |
| 12 | Bremer | Juventus | Serie A | D C | £154,000 | £8,008,000£8.0m |
| 13 | Marcos Senesi | Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League | D C | £150,000 | £7,800,000£7.8m |
| 14 | James Maddison | Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League | AM RLC | £147,000 | £7,644,000£7.6m |
| 15 | Konrad Laimer | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | D/WB R, DM | £141,000 | £7,332,000£7.3m |
| 16 | Richarlison | Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League | AM RL, ST | £140,000 | £7,280,000£7.3m |
| 17 | Pau Torres | Aston Villa | Premier League | D C | £130,000 | £6,760,000£6.8m |
| 18 | Jarrod Bowen | West Ham United | Championship | AM RL, ST | £125,000 | £6,500,000£6.5m |
| 19 | Alexander Nübel | Beşiktaş A.Ş. | Süper Lig | GK | £124,000 | £6,448,000£6.4m |
| 20 | Joe Gomez | Liverpool | Premier League | D RLC | £120,000 | £6,240,000£6.2m |
| 21 | Waldemar Anton | Borussia Dortmund | Bundesliga | D RC, DM | £116,000 | £6,032,000£6.0m |
| 22 | Joelinton | Newcastle United | Premier League | AM LC | £115,000 | £5,980,000£6.0m |
| 23 | Daichi Kamada | Crystal Palace | Premier League | DM, AM RLC | £110,000 | £5,720,000£5.7m |
| 24 | Rodrigo Bentancur | Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League | DM | £110,000 | £5,720,000£5.7m |
| 25 | Dean Henderson | Crystal Palace | Premier League | GK | £100,000 | £5,200,000£5.2m |
The median 28-year-old, league by league
2026/27, in every league holding 5 or more priced 28-year-olds
The Premier League pays its 28-year-olds the most, a median of £75,000 a week across 32 players. The I-League pays the least of the 43, at £127.
The women's game at 28
2026/27, in every women's league holding 5 or more priced 28-year-olds. Across men's football the median at 28 is £4,650 a week.
| LEAGUE | PLAYERS | MEDIAN | BEST PAID | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Super League | 14 | £2,050 | Grace Geyoro | £6,200 |
| NWSL | 23 | £1,800 | Sam Staab | £2,600 |
| Frauen-Bundesliga | 13 | £628 | Joelle Wedemeyer | £2,100 |
| Liga F | 20 | £494 | Ewa Pajor | £8,300 |
The highest wages ever paid at 28
Every season since 2016/17, each player's best year at 28
| # | PLAYER | CLUB | SEASON | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neymar | Paris Saint-Germain | 2020/21 | £859,000 |
| 2 | Oscar | Shanghai Port | 2020/21 | £573,000 |
| 3 | Antoine Griezmann | Barcelona | 2019/20 | £560,000 |
| 4 | Eden Hazard | Real Madrid | 2019/20 | £532,000 |
| 5 | Gareth Bale | Real Madrid | 2018/19 | £482,000 |
| 6 | Rúben Neves | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | 2026/27 | £414,000 |
| 7 | Aleksandar Mitrovic | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | 2023/24 | £411,000 |
| 8 | Philippe Coutinho | Barcelona | 2020/21 | £406,000 |
| 9 | Philippe Coutinho | Barcelona | 2020/21 | £406,000 |
| 10 | Franck Kessié | Al-Ahli Saudi Sport Club | 2024/25 | £362,000 |
| 11 | Mesut Özil | Arsenal | 2017/18 | £350,000 |
| 12 | Raheem Sterling | Chelsea | 2023/24 | £350,000 |
| 13 | Romelu Lukaku | Chelsea | 2021/22 | £350,000 |
| 14 | David De Gea | Manchester United | 2019/20 | £350,000 |
| 15 | Alexis Sánchez | Manchester United | 2017/18 | £350,000 |
| 16 | Toni Kroos | Real Madrid | 2018/19 | £345,000 |
| 17 | Ousmane Dembélé | Paris Saint-Germain | 2026/27 | £332,000 |
| 18 | Séko Fofana | Al-Ettifaq Football Club | 2023/24 | £303,000 |
| 19 | Malcom | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | 2024/25 | £296,000 |
| 20 | N'Golo Kanté | Chelsea | 2019/20 | £290,000 |
The best-paid 28-year-old, season by season
The top wage at 28 in each season we hold, 2016/17 to 2026/27
| SEASON | PLAYER | CLUB | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | Rúben Neves | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | £414,000 |
| 2024/25 | Rúben Neves | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | £410,000 |
| 2023/24 | Aleksandar Mitrovic | Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club | £411,000 |
| 2022/23 | Marquinhos | Paris Saint-Germain | £238,000 |
| 2021/22 | Romelu Lukaku | Chelsea | £350,000 |
| 2020/21 | Neymar | Paris Saint-Germain | £859,000 |
| 2019/20 | Antoine Griezmann | Barcelona | £560,000 |
| 2018/19 | Gareth Bale | Real Madrid | £482,000 |
| 2017/18 | Mesut Özil | Arsenal | £350,000 |
| 2016/17 | Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | £274,000 |
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 28-year-old footballer earn a week?
The median is £4,650 a week in 2026/27, across the 1,112 28-year-olds we hold a wage for in men's football. A quarter of them are paid more than £12,000 a week and a tenth more than £33,000.
Who is the highest-paid 28-year-old footballer?
Rúben Neves at Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club, on £414,000 a week, which is £21,528,000 a year. Ousmane Dembélé at Paris Saint-Germain is next on £332,000 a week.
What is the most a 28-year-old footballer has been paid?
Neymar, on £859,000 a week at Paris Saint-Germain in 2020/21, the highest wage at 28 in any season since 2016/17. Oscar is second, on £573,000 at Shanghai Port in 2020/21.
How many 28-year-old footballers are paid £10,000 a week?
330 of the 1,112, which is 30%. At 29 it is 246 of 887.
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.
Where to next
The same wages, a year either side and league by league
At 27, the median is £4,500 a week. At 29, it is £4,300. See how pay rises and falls across a career , or Premier League wages by age .