What footballers are paid at 36
The median 36-year-old in men's football is paid £4,100 a week in 2026/27, across the 153 we hold a wage for. The best paid is Robert Lewandowski at Chicago Fire FC, on £432,000 a week. The most paid at 36 since 2016/17 is Cristiano Ronaldo, on £480,000 a week at Manchester United in 2021/22.
Half the 36-year-olds we hold are paid £4,100 a week or less. A quarter are paid more than £7,900, a tenth more than £27,000, and 29 are paid £10,000 a week or more.
The best-paid 36-year-olds in 2026/27
The top 25 of the 153 priced 36-year-olds in men's football
The median 36-year-old, league by league
2026/27, in every league holding 5 or more priced 36-year-olds
Major League Soccer pays its 36-year-olds the most, a median of £10,050 a week across 14 players. Ligue 2 pays the least of the 8, at £1,800.
The highest wages ever paid at 36
Every season since 2016/17, each player's best year at 36
| # | PLAYER | CLUB | SEASON | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United | 2021/22 | £480,000 |
| 2 | Robert Lewandowski | Chicago Fire FC | 2026/27 | £432,000 |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF | 2023/24 | £315,000 |
| 4 | Manuel Neuer | FC Bayern München | 2022/23 | £281,000 |
| 5 | Luka Modric | Real Madrid | 2022/23 | £278,000 |
| 6 | Sergio Ramos | Paris Saint-Germain | 2022/23 | £225,000 |
| 7 | Fernandinho | Manchester City | 2021/22 | £200,000 |
| 8 | Fernandinho | Manchester City | 2021/22 | £200,000 |
| 9 | Keylor Navas | Paris Saint-Germain | 2023/24 | £197,000 |
| 10 | Edin Džeko | Inter Milan | 2022/23 | £154,000 |
| 11 | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Olympique de Marseille | 2024/25 | £150,000 |
| 12 | Raúl García | Athletic Bilbao | 2022/23 | £138,000 |
| 13 | Sergio Busquets | Inter Miami CF | 2026/27 | £125,000 |
| 14 | James Milner | Liverpool | 2022/23 | £120,000 |
| 15 | Claudio Bravo | Manchester City | 2019/20 | £115,000 |
| 16 | Iker Casillas | Futebol Clube do Porto | 2017/18 | £111,000 |
| 17 | Petr Cech | Arsenal | 2018/19 | £110,000 |
| 18 | Samir Handanovic | Inter Milan | 2020/21 | £104,000 |
| 19 | Franck Ribéry | ACF Fiorentina | 2019/20 | £101,000 |
| 20 | Andrea Barzagli | Juventus | 2017/18 | £98,000 |
The best-paid 36-year-old, season by season
The top wage at 36 in each season we hold, 2016/17 to 2026/27
| SEASON | PLAYER | CLUB | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | Robert Lewandowski | Chicago Fire FC | £432,000 |
| 2024/25 | Robert Lewandowski | Barcelona | £296,000 |
| 2023/24 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF | £315,000 |
| 2022/23 | Manuel Neuer | FC Bayern München | £281,000 |
| 2021/22 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United | £480,000 |
| 2020/21 | Samir Handanovic | Inter Milan | £104,000 |
| 2019/20 | Claudio Bravo | Manchester City | £115,000 |
| 2018/19 | Petr Cech | Arsenal | £110,000 |
| 2017/18 | Iker Casillas | Futebol Clube do Porto | £111,000 |
| 2016/17 | Gökdeniz Karadeniz | Rubin Kazan | £42,000 |
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 36-year-old footballer earn a week?
The median is £4,100 a week in 2026/27, across the 153 36-year-olds we hold a wage for in men's football. A quarter of them are paid more than £7,900 a week and a tenth more than £27,000.
Who is the highest-paid 36-year-old footballer?
Robert Lewandowski at Chicago Fire FC, on £432,000 a week, which is £22,464,000 a year. Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami CF is next on £125,000 a week.
What is the most a 36-year-old footballer has been paid?
Cristiano Ronaldo, on £480,000 a week at Manchester United in 2021/22, the highest wage at 36 in any season since 2016/17. Robert Lewandowski is second, on £432,000 at Chicago Fire FC in 2026/27.
How many 36-year-old footballers are paid £10,000 a week?
29 of the 153, which is 19%. At 37 it is 10 of 73.
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 36 the median is £4,100.
Where to next
The same wages, a year either side and league by league
At 35, the median is £3,550 a week. At 37, it is £3,100. See how pay rises and falls across a career , or Major League Soccer wages by age .