Soccer continues to be the most popular sport in the world and grabs attention wherever the top clubs play.
Midfielders hold immense value in the outcome of each match and clubs pay them high fees for their services. The highest-paid soccer midfielders command salaries in excess of $20 million a year.
Frenkie De Jong tops the list as the highest-paid soccer midfielder in 2024. He earns $57.7 million for Barcelona, including $20 million in bonuses. The 26-year-old Dutchman is signed through the 2026 season.
De Jong attracted the attention of soccer giants Barcelona after his 2018-2019 season. He was named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year after a breakout season with Ajax.
The gap between his wages and all others on the list is more than $30 million.
Three players are tied for second at $25 million a year: N’Golo Kanté of Al-Ittihad, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic of Al Hilal, and Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid.
Kanté signed with Al-Ittihad in 2023 after a career mostly in England’s Premier League. He was an integral part of an underdog Leicester City squad that made history by winning the Premier League in 2015-2016.
Milinkovic-Savic has been productive playing mainly in Italy before his move to Saudi Arabia. His 134 total goals and assists in his career is fourth-most among the top 10 highest-paid midfielders.
Bellingham is the youngest on the entire list. At only 20, Bellingham has made huge contributions wherever he’s landed. The Englishman just won his first title of his career with Real Madrid, champions of LaLiga.
Rounding out the top five is Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos. Kroos earns $24.38 million as part of the dynamic Real Madrid midfield. He’s the most decorated midfielder on the list with 13 titles, including the 2014 World Cup with Germany.
LaLiga and the Saudi Pro League dominate as the leagues shelling out the most for midfielders. Both leagues have four players each among the top 10 highest-paid soccer midfielders.
Luka Modric, the eighth highest-paid midfielder, has the most individual awards of any midfielder on the list. He holds 12 individual awards for his incredible play for club and country.
Ranking The Highest-Paid Midfielders in Soccer
Here is the entire list of highest-paid soccer midfielders of 2024. The list was compiled with data from Capology.
- Updated: June 14, 2024
| Rank | Player | Career Goals + Assists | Awards Won | Team | Total Compensation |
| 1 | Frenkie de Jong | 56 | 4 | Barcelona | $57.7 million |
| T-2 | N’Golo Kanté | 47 | 4 | Al-Ittihad | $25 million |
| T-2 | Sergej Milinkovic-Savic | 134 | 0 | Al Hilal | $25 million |
| T-2 | Jude Bellingham | 58 | 0 | Real Madrid | $25 million |
| 5 | Toni Kroos | 148 | 7 | Real Madrid | $24.38 million |
| 6 | Marcelo Brozovic | 102 | 0 | Al Nassr | $24.2 million |
| 7 | Casemiro | 57 | 0 | Manchester United | $23.4 million |
| 8 | Luka Modric | 137 | 12 | Real Madrid | $21.88 million |
| 9 | Kevin De Bruyne | 277 | 7 | Manchester City | $20.8 million |
| 10 | Ivan Rakitic | 173 | 1 | Al-Shabab | $20.41 million |
| 11 | Joshua Kimmich | 95 | 2 | Bayern Munich | $19.5 million |
| 12 | İlkay Gündoğan | 106 | 1 | Barcelona | $18.75 million |
| 13 | Leon Goretzka | 89 | 0 | Bayern Munich | $18 million |
| 14 | Rúben Neves | 55 | 0 | Al Hilal | $17.3 million |
| 15 | Kai Havertz | 103 | 0 | Arsenal | $17.16 million |
| 16 | Federico Valverde | 32 | 0 | Real Madrid | $16.67 million |
| T-17 | Bernardo Silva | 117 | 0 | Manchester United | $15.6 million |
| T-17 | Mason Mount | 79 | 0 | Manchester United | $15.6 million |
| T-17 | Martin Ødegaard | 99 | 0 | Arsenal | $15.6 million |
| 20 | Seko Fofana | 60 | 0 | Al-Ettifaq | $15.2 million |
| 21 | Georginio Wijnaldum | 147 | 1 | Al-Ettifaq | $15 million |
| T-22 | Fabinho | 53 | 0 | Al-Ittihad | $14 million |
| T-22 | Franck Kessié | 74 | 0 | Al-Ahli | $14 million |
| 24 | Otávio | 95 | 1 | Al Nassr | $13 million |
| T-25 | Aurélien Tchouaméni | 20 | 0 | Real Madrid | $12.5 million |
| T-25 | Eduardo Camavinga | 12 | 0 | Real Madrid | $12.5 million |
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