Top 10 Highest-Paid Football Clubs in the World 2022

FC Bayern Munich, also known as FC Bayern München, is a top-tier football club from Germany. With 30 league titles to their name, Bayern has been the dominant force in German football. Since the inception of the Bundesliga in 1963, they’ve claimed more than half of the league’s championships (29 out of 57). Their first major honor came in 1932. Bayern has lifted the DFB Cup 20 times, making them the most successful club in that competition, with Werder Bremen being the closest rival with just six wins.

Bayern Munich’s position on the list of the world’s highest-paying football clubs is indicative of two factors. Their impressive total wage bill demonstrates their financial competitiveness with Europe’s top teams and reflects their spending capabilities compared to other Bundesliga rivals. The salary of Robert Lewandowski is included in this season’s figures, but many other Bayern players also earn six-figure weekly wages. New signing Sadio Mane is among them, alongside veteran forwards like Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller. This is why Bayern’s wage expenditure is so substantial.

Manchester is renowned for being one of the fastest-growing cities during the Industrial Revolution, with a large influx of workers from across the British Isles. Manchester United is one of the most prestigious football clubs globally, maintaining a strong tradition, a consistently successful record, and a remarkable history. Together with Liverpool, Manchester United has been the most successful club in English football history. While United has won more domestic titles than Liverpool, their rivals have earned more honors in international competitions.

Manchester United has one of the highest wage bills in the Champions League for a team in the Europa League, with a significant portion of their payroll attributed to transfers made during former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure. Cristiano Ronaldo was the highest earner at the club, so his departure may reduce their overall wage expenses. Other major signings from Solskjaer’s era, such as Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, along with goalkeeper David de Gea, are among the club’s top earners. Under Erik ten Hag, United has invested heavily in both wages and transfer fees, hoping that recent acquisition Casemiro will justify that investment.

Chelsea has been a consistently strong club throughout its history, with no surprise in its collection of major trophies over the years. Chelsea has claimed League, League Cup, and FA Cup titles. The club has also been successful in Europe, becoming the only English team to win all three major UEFA trophies: the Cup Winners' Cup, Champions League, and Europa League. The nickname 'The Pensioners' became synonymous with the club, which has grown to be one of the wealthiest in the country, able to offer high wages to top-tier players.

A combination of a large squad and several high-quality signings has helped Chelsea reach that staggering £200 million wage bill. With new additions such as Wesley Fofana not yet counted in the numbers, we can expect the Blues to exceed this amount once the transfer window closes. Under Thomas Tuchel, the club at least managed to offload one of its highest earners this summer, with Timo Werner returning to RB Leipzig, and Romelu Lukaku taking a pay cut to join Inter Milan on loan. However, summer signings Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly have further increased their wage expenditures.

Manchester City is a Premier League club based in the eastern part of Manchester. Like their Mancunian rivals, Manchester City has experienced many highs throughout its colorful history. With titles in the First Division / Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, and even a Champions League trophy, Man City has risen to become one of the most successful football clubs in England. Today, Manchester City is also one of the highest-paying clubs in the world.

Some might be surprised to see Manchester City on this list, but they are known for their heavy spending. Despite significant outlays on transfer fees, they rank only third in the Premier League for wage expenditure. Recent signings like Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish top the club's wage list, while Rodri is among the highest-paid players after his contract renewal. However, Kevin De Bruyne remains the club’s highest-paid player, earning £400,000 per week, and is also one of the highest earners in the Premier League.

The Liverpool football club hails from Liverpool, England. Established in 1892, the name Liverpool Football Club has become synonymous with prestige and glory. Globally, Liverpool is recognized as the most successful English football club of all time, boasting a remarkable list of European football titles. The club is also one of the most renowned worldwide, with over 200 supporter clubs in at least 50 countries. Liverpool nearly added even more titles to their trophy cabinet, narrowly missing out on the Premier League championship as runners-up in 2002, 2014, and 2019.

Liverpool currently ranks as the 8th highest-paying club in the world. Although they lost Sadio Mane this summer, many players in the squad continue to rake in substantial wages. Leading the charge is Mohamed Salah, who became Liverpool's highest-paid player ever after signing a new contract earlier this summer. The wage bill could rise further before the window closes, with manager Jurgen Klopp considering midfield reinforcements.

Atletico Madrid has long been recognized as one of Spain's premier football clubs, despite the dominance of giants Barcelona and Real Madrid for much of its history. The club, officially known as Atlético de Madrid, has traditionally been seen as the younger sibling of Real Madrid, always striving to disrupt the established order. Atletico is also known for a notably high turnover of managers, with many being dismissed after just a few seasons. Currently, Atletico Madrid ranks among the highest-paying clubs globally, sitting in 9th place, with substantial wage bills for its star players.

Under the leadership of Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid has cemented itself as a regular contender in the Champions League, with its most recent La Liga title coming in 2021. While their wages are lower than those of Barcelona and Real Madrid, they still rank high by European standards. This summer, their wage bill slightly decreased with the departure of Luis Suarez, who returned to his native Uruguay to join Nacional. Jan Oblak and loaned-in Antoine Griezmann are among the club's highest earners, although Griezmann's future remains uncertain despite a clause in his contract allowing him to return to Barcelona at the end of the season.

Juventus FC, often simply referred to as Juve, has long been one of Italy's premier football clubs, based in Torino. The name 'Juventus' in Italian translates to 'youth'. The club is also known by several nicknames, including 'La Vecchia Signora' (The Old Lady), 'La Signora' (The Lady), 'La Fidanzata d'Italia' (The Girlfriend of Italy), 'I Bianconeri' (The Black and Whites), 'Le Zebre' (The Zebras), and even 'Il Gobbo' (The Hunchback). The club's iconic black and white stripes, now synonymous with Juventus, actually originated from England with one of the earliest football clubs, Notts County. Juventus FC remains one of the highest-paying clubs globally this year.

As the only Italian club in the top 10 highest-paying clubs worldwide, Juventus' wage bill has slightly reduced compared to previous years. The summer signing of Paul Pogba is reportedly earning less in Turin than he did at his former club, Manchester United. Additionally, Juventus offloaded several high earners during the summer. The hefty contract of Aaron Ramsey was terminated early, allowing the Welshman to join Nice on a free transfer, while Paulo Dybala left for Roma after his contract expired. Despite these changes, Juventus still carries a significant wage bill, with Angel Di Maria now among the top earners following his free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.

Paris Saint-Germain is currently the highest-paying football club in the world, with one of the most expensive squads on the planet. Brazilian star Neymar ranks as the third highest-paid footballer globally. According to The Sun, PSG's wage bill is actually over £100 million higher than that of any other club in Europe. Maintaining one of the highest-scoring forward lines in the game is no cheap task, with Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé all earning massive weekly wages. Mbappé’s earnings also saw a rise as PSG forced the French international into a new deal, despite interest from Real Madrid.

While the French champions have tried to offload some high-earners who aren't part of the first team, such as Mauro Icardi and Julian Draxler, and loaning out Gini Wijnaldum, it's still not enough to dethrone them from the top spot. Mbappé remains PSG's highest-paid player, taking home €1,748,269 each week following his summer contract extension. Messi is the second-highest-paid player at the club, earning €1,223,846 weekly, while Neymar comes in third with an impressive €1,083,846 per week.

Real Madrid is the wealthiest football club in the world according to Forbes. Having surpassed Manchester United, the Spanish giants have topped the financial rankings for several years. Real Madrid clinched their 12th European title in 2017 by defeating Juventus in the Champions League final, followed by a third consecutive victory in 2018, overcoming Liverpool in the final.

Real Madrid also ranks among the highest-paying clubs in the world. This was evident earlier in the summer with the arrival of Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer, but there are other examples as well. Three of the club's highest earners are aging veterans, with Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modric potentially earning less as they get older. However, this still leaves players like Eden Hazard and Vinicius Junior earning substantial salaries, even though the club has made some cuts with the departures of Gareth Bale and Isco over the summer.

Barcelona, commonly referred to as Barça, is one of the oldest football clubs in Europe, with its origins dating back to the 19th century. Alongside Real Madrid, they are among the most successful clubs in the top five European leagues. With a total of 91 major trophies, including 26 La Liga titles, 30 Copa del Reys, and 5 Champions League trophies, Barcelona has a rich history of domestic and international success, just like their bitter rivals.

The focus at Camp Nou is currently on reducing the wage bill, which led to the free departure of several key players. Coach Xavi has brought in world-class talents such as Jules Kounde, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker is one of the high-profile signings to join the club this summer, alongside Kounde and Franck Kessie. Barcelona has not only worked to offload high earners like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Memphis Depay but has also been in a dispute with Frenkie de Jong over deferred wages, freeing up funds through financial leverage deals.