No one can stop their heartbeat from beating fast while watching an exciting soccer match. Soccer players, their fitness, their movement, everything is a treat for our eyes. But have you ever wondered how much a soccer player can earn for their gameplay?
Yes, footballers get a huge amount as their payment. Soccer is, without a doubt, a huge profession as well as a means of business. Surprisingly!! The gameplay is not the only source from which the footballers get their livelihood. Their earnings do not end with the organizations for which they participate, but it also includes performance bonuses, endorsements, and entertainment offerings. In the article, we will discuss the payment sources briefly.
Are Footballers Paid Weekly or Monthly?
There is a misconception that professional soccer players get their payments weekly. But the soccer league is like any other professional, and the athletes get paid monthly. Although the media often writes spicy news about the payments, according to the contracts, national teams pay them monthly only.
Although, the payment amount sometimes varies from player to player according to their playing experience, age, brand value, and other signing terms. Some athletes can get more than their team members. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have acquired much wealth for their excellent performance.
Read Also: 15 Best Soccer Brands in the World
How are soccer players paid?
A defender’s base salary is determined by a number of criteria, the most important are the team’s financial backing and the league’s income. To detect the method of payments, we have discussed some leagues below.
EFL Championship (England)
A footballer may get around £7,500 and £8,500 each week in this tournament. So, each participant has a weekly earning potential of $45 to $51.
The Premier League (England)
A participant in England’s Premier League may receive up to £50,000 each week. In the Premier League, each soccer player may make an average of $298 each session. Professional soccer athletes, on the other hand, earn significantly more in the Premier League. Paul Pogba, for instance, can make £290,000 per week and David De Gea £200,000 a week.
LA LIGA
In the LA LIGA, payments differ greatly according to the players. Lionel Messi makes almost 655,000 euros each week. On the other hand, Gareth Bale may potentially generate 400,000 euros each week if he wanted to. In addition, Sergio Ramos can earn up to 200,000 euros.
Major League Soccer (MLS)
In the MLS, Inter Miami has the biggest budget of $17.8 million in salary. Carlos Vela gets a base salary of $6.3 million from Major League Soccer in a year. Furthermore, Javier Hernandez Balcazar, the Mexican player, also earns $6 million in a year. The third highest payment goes to Gonzalo Higuain from Inter Miami with $5.7 million. Though the amount gets changed for some players according to their performance, the majority remains the same.
Bundesliga
Bayern Munich had been known as the highest-paid franchise in the Bundesliga of Germany in the 2019/2020 season. Athletes have earned almost $8.12 million for their performance in the tournament. Bobby Wood is the highest-paid athlete in Bundesliga 2. He is getting £2,340,000 each year, and £45,000 each week.
How Much do Champions League players earn?
Although there is a difference in wages in soccer, players make a generous amount of money. In the Championship League of 2021, the winner will get $23.18 million as the winning amount. On the other hand, the runner-up will get $18.3 million as their gift. The 32 participating soccer clubs have a chance to gain $19.1 million if they qualify in the group stage in the 2020-21 session.
Talking about athletes, the highest-paid one is Lionel Messi with €74 million. He also gets €36 million as his annual salary and €3 million as a bonus. Cristiano Ronaldo is getting €67.4 million as his salary in the championship.
How Much do Ligue 1 Players Earn?
Ligue 1 is a platform to develop the athletes and their gameplay. It has included one of the best players. This league has a reputation to pay the highest amount to the player. For example, one of the most renowned Paris Saint-Germain FC has included talented players like Donnarumma, Hakimi, Lionel Messi, Ramos, Wijnaldum, and many more. All of them are big names among soccer fans. Marquinhos is earning €15 million from Ligue 1, whereas Sergio Ramos is getting €21 million. In addition, Mbappe is also running higher in the base salary with €25 million. Moreover, the highest-paid players are Neymar and Lionel Messi with respectively having €36.8 million and €41 million from this French professional league.
Do Soccer Players Get Paid During the Off-season?
We have already mentioned that soccer is like any other profession where a fixed income enters the player’s account. Even, it is the off-season and there is no match, still, the players will get the same monthly salaries. As long as they are actively involved with the team, everything will remain the same. Off-seasons are holidays for them.
How Do Football Players Make Money?
The source of footballers earning is not limited to one part, rather they have multiple sources. Usually, soccer players commonly earn from five sources: salary from the national team, club contracts, sponsorship, special acknowledgment, rewards and cash prizes. Let’s get to know sources in detail.
National Team Salary
The main source of income for any player is the national team’s salary. Playing in the national team is undoubtedly a matter of pride for any soccer player. The process of deciding the payment is not the same for every country, but they fix some categories and distribute payments accordingly.
The World Cup and other important tournaments also play an important role in this case. As athletes, performance will eventually lead to a team winning or losing situation.
Club Contracts
If an athlete wants to join any team, they have to sign a contract with the club first. For most individuals, the contractual amount is their main source of income. The amount is not the same for all the players. It varies according to their experience. Gameplay and brand value.
Club contracts, on the other hand, have been the only source of revenue that players share with the world. Some soccer clubs pay the athlete a huge amount of money that they do not get to look for any other source of income. Travelling, food, and excellent training facilities are also included in the club contract.
Rewards and cash prize
Athletes’ agreements may incorporate bonus conditions for gaining a goal or assisting on others’ points. Participants get these incentives on top of their regular pay. For remaining at an organization for a particular couple of years, athletes may be eligible for loyalty incentives.
Sponsorship
Soccer players nowadays are not only simply players, but they are also entertainers. As a result, professional players have the power to influence perception and also have a position to communicate.
Special acknowledgement
Soccer players also get special price money for their performance. If a soccer player wins an outstanding prize, such as the ballon d’Or or the golden boot, a term in their agreement may qualify the player to the reward.
How Much Do The Top Players Make?
As we have already mentioned, players get paid to play soccer, but the amount varies. There is no exact answer to confirm how much money they are making. But the base salary is quite open in front of all.
In the 2020-21 season, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have earned $235 million in total. According to sources, the Argentine player Messi earns $110 million yearly. On the other hand, Forbes has declared Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s highest-paid soccer player. He makes $125 million yearly where $70 million comes from his bonuses and salaries.
The young Neymar from Brazil also runs similarly in the money-making race with a $95M yearly income. The amount shows how much the brands are paying the top players besides their regular club and national team payments.
How do Transfers Work in Soccer?
Transferring from one club to another is one of the most common scenarios in soccer. Footballers frequently shift between teams for a predetermined fee plus add-ons and rewards.
Contractual Period
Participants must finish contractual discussions and physical checks before signing a contract. Other organizations can make an offer for a footballer at any moment, depending on when his agreement expires.
Deals can be for any period of time and they can be restructured at any moment. A takeover bid or releasing provisions in agreements generally indicate that if a club offers above a given sum within a specified time frame, the athlete is allowed to play for that club.
Biggest Transfer of 21st century
In 2017, the $263 million transfer of Neymar Jr. from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain is considered the most priced move of all history. In the twenty-first century, the international transfer fee benchmark has been shattered 5 times. PSG has done it once, again once by Manchester United. Real Madrid has broken it three times.
Spain, Italy, and England are wealthy nations that can afford to pay their athletes generously. Though other teams are also paying their players according to their limits. Undoubtedly, the leagues and clubs are offering a huge amount to the player, yet the endorsement deals are also a big source of income for them. With the time and effort, the players are giving to improve their fitness and gameplay, they deserve what they are getting. We as a viewer also enjoy their thrilling performance in the stadium.