What footballers are paid at 38
The median 38-year-old in men's football is paid £4,400 a week in 2026/27, across the 63 we hold a wage for. The best paid is Lionel Messi at Inter Miami CF, on £222,000 a week. The most paid at 38 since 2016/17 is Cristiano Ronaldo, on £3,000,000 a week at Al-Nassr Football Club in 2023/24.
Half the 38-year-olds we hold are paid £4,400 a week or less. A quarter are paid more than £9,200, a tenth more than £22,000, and 14 are paid £10,000 a week or more.
The best-paid 38-year-olds in 2026/27
The top 25 of the 63 priced 38-year-olds in men's football
| # | PLAYER | CLUB | LEAGUE | POSITION | WEEKLY | YEARLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF | Major League Soccer | AM RC, F C | £222,000 | £11,544,000£11.5m |
| 2 | Hulk | Fluminense | Brasileirão Série A | AM R, ST | £57,000 | £2,964,000£3.0m |
| 3 | Keylor Navas | Pumas de la UNAM | Liga MX | GK | £29,000 | £1,508,000£1.5m |
| 4 | Olivier Giroud | LOSC Lille | Ligue 1 | ST | £27,000 | £1,404,000£1.4m |
| 5 | Cássio | Cruzeiro Esporte Clube SAF | Brasileirão Série A | GK | £24,000 | £1,248,000£1.2m |
| 6 | Cristhian Stuani | Girona | La Liga 2 | ST | £23,000 | £1,196,000£1.2m |
| 7 | Christopher Trimmel | 1. FC Union Berlin | Bundesliga | D/WB R | £22,000 | £1,144,000£1.1m |
| 8 | Luis Suárez | Inter Miami CF | Major League Soccer | ST | £21,000 | £1,092,000£1.1m |
| 9 | Gabriel Mercado | Internacional | Brasileirão Série A | D RC | £15,000 | £780,000£780k |
| 10 | João Moutinho | SC Braga | Primeira Liga | DM | £13,000 | £676,000£676k |
| 11 | Kim Jin Hyeon | Cerezo Osaka | J1 League | GK | £12,000 | £624,000£624k |
| 12 | Matías Dituro | Elche | La Liga | GK | £11,000 | £572,000£572k |
| 13 | Hugo Lloris | Los Angeles Football Club | Major League Soccer | GK | £11,000 | £572,000£572k |
| 14 | Yuto Nagatomo | FC Tokyo | J1 League | D/WB/M RL | £10,000 | £520,000£520k |
| 15 | Aqeel Al-Sahbi | Al-Ain Football Club (KSA) | Other clubs | D RC | £9,500 | £494,000£494k |
| 16 | Hernán Galíndez | Club Atlético Huracán | Super Liga | GK | £9,200 | £478,400£478k |
| 17 | Andrés Fernández | Almería | La Liga 2 | GK | £8,500 | £442,000£442k |
| 18 | Adrián | Real Betis | La Liga | GK | £8,500 | £442,000£442k |
| 19 | Rodolfo Cota | Club América | Liga MX | GK | £8,000 | £416,000£416k |
| 20 | Rafael (Rafael de Andrade Bittencourt Pinheiro) | Spezia Calcio | Serie B | GK | £8,000 | £416,000£416k |
| 21 | Alexandr Belenov | FC Ufa | Other clubs | GK | £7,500 | £390,000£390k |
| 22 | Carlos Bacca | Club Deportivo Popular Junior F.C. S.A. | Categoría Primera A | ST | £7,400 | £384,800£385k |
| 23 | Marcelo Lomba (Marcelo Lomba do Nascimento) | Palmeiras | Brasileirão Série A | GK | £6,900 | £358,800£359k |
| 24 | Maxi Moralez | New York City FC | Major League Soccer | AM C | £6,900 | £358,800£359k |
| 25 | Paulo Victor | Alanyaspor | Süper Lig | GK | £6,800 | £353,600£354k |
The median 38-year-old, league by league
2026/27, in every league holding 5 or more priced 38-year-olds
Brasileirão Série A pays its 38-year-olds the most, a median of £15,000 a week across 5 players. The Super Liga pays the least of the 3, at £3,300.
The highest wages ever paid at 38
Every season since 2016/17, each player's best year at 38
| # | PLAYER | CLUB | SEASON | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Al-Nassr Football Club | 2023/24 | £3,000,000 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF | 2024/25 | £315,000 |
| 3 | Zlatan Ibrahimović | AC Milan | 2020/21 | £187,000 |
| 4 | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 2016/17 | £123,000 |
| 5 | Iker Casillas | Futebol Clube do Porto | 2019/20 | £108,000 |
| 6 | Thiago Silva | Chelsea | 2023/24 | £96,000 |
| 7 | Jesús Navas | Sevilla | 2024/25 | £74,000 |
| 8 | Hulk | Atlético Mineiro | 2024/25 | £64,000 |
| 9 | Marcelo Grohe | Al-Shabab Football Club | 2024/25 | £63,000 |
| 10 | Lukasz Fabianski | West Ham United | 2023/24 | £60,000 |
| 11 | Pepe Reina | Lazio | 2021/22 | £60,000 |
| 12 | Daniel Alves (Daniel Alves da Silva) | Barcelona | 2021/22 | £58,000 |
| 13 | Frank Lampard | New York City FC | 2016/17 | £52,000 |
| 14 | Steve Mandanda | Stade Rennais FC | 2023/24 | £49,000 |
| 15 | Franck Ribéry | U.S. Salernitana 1919 | 2021/22 | £48,000 |
| 16 | Pepe | Futebol Clube do Porto | 2021/22 | £48,000 |
| 17 | Artur Boruc | AFC Bournemouth | 2018/19 | £43,000 |
| 18 | Ashley Young | Everton | 2023/24 | £43,000 |
| 19 | Edinson Cavani | Club Atlético Boca Juniors | 2024/25 | £43,000 |
| 20 | Fabio Quagliarella | Unione Calcio Sampdoria | 2021/22 | £39,000 |
The best-paid 38-year-old, season by season
The top wage at 38 in each season we hold, 2016/17 to 2026/27
| SEASON | PLAYER | CLUB | WEEKLY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF | £222,000 |
| 2024/25 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF | £315,000 |
| 2023/24 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Al-Nassr Football Club | £3,000,000 |
| 2022/23 | José Fonte | LOSC Lille | £28,000 |
| 2021/22 | Pepe Reina | Lazio | £60,000 |
| 2020/21 | Zlatan Ibrahimović | AC Milan | £187,000 |
| 2019/20 | Iker Casillas | Futebol Clube do Porto | £108,000 |
| 2018/19 | Artur Boruc | AFC Bournemouth | £43,000 |
| 2017/18 | Claudio Pizarro | 1. FC Köln | £36,000 |
| 2016/17 | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | £123,000 |
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 38-year-old footballer earn a week?
The median is £4,400 a week in 2026/27, across the 63 38-year-olds we hold a wage for in men's football. A quarter of them are paid more than £9,200 a week and a tenth more than £22,000.
Who is the highest-paid 38-year-old footballer?
Lionel Messi at Inter Miami CF, on £222,000 a week, which is £11,544,000 a year. Hulk at Fluminense is next on £57,000 a week.
What is the most a 38-year-old footballer has been paid?
Cristiano Ronaldo, on £3,000,000 a week at Al-Nassr Football Club in 2023/24, the highest wage at 38 in any season since 2016/17. Lionel Messi is second, on £315,000 at Inter Miami CF in 2024/25.
How many 38-year-old footballers are paid £10,000 a week?
14 of the 63, which is 22%.
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 38 the median is £4,400.
Where to next
The same wages, a year either side and league by league
At 37, the median is £3,100 a week. See how pay rises and falls across a career , or Brasileirão Série A wages by age .