Summary
The 2025 Club World Cup will be the tournament’s first major makeover under FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Teams from 20 different countries will compete in the competition, which will take place in the United States.
Despite the fact that only one Saudi Arabian team competes in the Club World Cup, three of the players on this list represent that club.
At the time of writing, the latest edition of the Club World Cup is about to begin, with the 2025 tournament marking the first of a newly formed competition. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has overhauled the Club World Cup, which is being held in America and has aroused widespread discussion among football enthusiasts.
Watch the Club World Cup on DAZN.
Instead of the typical seven teams, the 2025 Club World Cup will have 32 clubs competing for the title. The competition will feature 20 different countries, with the final scheduled for July 13th, and two teams from each of the eight groups proceeding to the knockout stages.
The Club World Cup will include some of the world’s highest-paid football players, including the great Lionel Messi of Inter Miami. While the Argentine is one of the world’s best-paid footballers, Messi’s club pay is not among the highest in international football, with the World Cup champion earning large sums of money through deals off the pitch.
So, which players will be the highest-paid footballers in the Club World Cup, according to Capology’s weekly salaries?
Ranking Factors
As previously stated, this list was sorted exclusively on each player’s weekly salary according to Capology. There has been no consideration of money made outside of player contracts.
10Jan Oblak
£338,053 per week
Jan Oblak, long regarded as one of Europe’s top goalkeepers, has been with Atletico Madrid for more than ten years. The shot-stopper joined the club from Benfica in 2014, having struggled to establish himself as a first-choice in Portugal but doing well on loan away from the club to attract Atletico’s interest.
Oblak immediately became the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, succeeding Thibaut Courtois, who had returned to Chelsea after spending time on loan. Oblak consistently improved under Diego Simeone’s leadership throughout the 2010s, helping Atletico win a La Liga title and a Europa League during his stay at the club, as well as reaching the Champions League final in 2016.
Oblak’s weekly remuneration of around £340,000 reflects his importance to Atletico. Oblak, a six-time Zamora Trophy winner, might still play at the highest level of football for many more years.
9Jude Bellingham
£338,053 per week
Jude Bellingham’s potential for success was clear from the moment he made his Birmingham City debut in 2019. After three years of development at Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham joined Real Madrid for around £100 million soon before his 20th birthday. In his first season, the Englishman helped Los Blancos win both the La Liga and the Champions League.
Bellingham is almost 22 years old at the time of writing, which is incredible given how long he has been among Europe’s finest football players. The midfielder has a clear place in Madrid’s first squad and demonstrated, particularly in his debut season with the club, a great eye for goal.
Bellingham is one of Real Madrid’s highest-paid players, earning £338,053 every week, which is understandable given his significance on the squad.
8Vinicius Junior
£338,053 per week
Although Vinicius Junior did not quite recreate his form from the previous season, which saw him come second in the Ballon d’Or race, this does not mean that the Brazilian had a bad season. Vinicius remains one of Madrid’s most lethal offensive forces, and it’s easy to forget that he’s only 24 years old and has been with Madrid since 2018.
Vinicius, along with his wider attacking contingent, will provide Xabi Alonso with a fantastic opportunity to win the first championship in which he will lead Real Madrid. The Brazilian international, like his teammate Bellingham, earns just under £340,000 per week, which is reasonable for a player of Vinicius’ caliber at a club of Real’s magnitude.
7David Alaba
£365,156 per week
Though he has struggled with injuries since joining Real Madrid in 2021, David Alaba remains one of the world’s top defenders when healthy. The Austrian spent the majority of his career with Bayern Munich, where he was a steady member of the first squad for a decade, from 2011 to the year he left.
Alaba, who can play either centre-back or left-back, became the first player in history to win two Champions League titles with two different teams when Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 final. Alaba, on the other hand, only appeared in 14 games the following season, seven of which were in La Liga.
Alaba is paid a high salary, and it remains to be seen whether Madrid will offer the Austrian a contract extension, despite the talent he brings when healthy and available.
6Harry Kane
£405,729 per week
Harry Kane won his long-awaited first senior football championship in the 2024/25 season, winning the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, where he has remained one of Europe’s finest strikers since joining in 2023. Kane’s goal-scoring ability has been consistent in Germany, with two outstanding seasons.
The Club World Cup will provide Kane the opportunity to add to his collection of trophy, since Bayern is one of two German participants in the competition, along with Borussia Dortmund. Kane earns slightly over £405,000 a week on a contract that has two years remaining. At 31 years old, Kane will still be in his prime years when the contract expires.
5Aleksandar Mitrovic
£405,729 per week
Aleksandar Mitrovic is best remembered for his spell in English football, which began in 2015 when he joined Newcastle United from Anderlecht. Mitrovic battled for consistency with the Magpies and eventually joined Fulham on loan in 2018. That following year, Mitrovic’s move became permanent, and he stayed with the club for five years.
Mitrovic established himself as a terrific striker with Fulham, who finished first in the Championship, and this carried over to the Premier League as he aged. Mitrovic went to Al-Hilal in 2023 after helping the club gain promotion and continue in the Premier League. He has had a fantastic two seasons so far.
Mitrovic is one of the world’s highest-paid strikers, earning more than £400,000 a week, as seen by his exceptional goal tally in Saudi Arabia.
4Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
£405,729 per week
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has been an Al-Hillal player since 2023, having previously played for Lazio after moving from Genk in 2015. Though he did not win any Serie A titles in Italy, Milinkovic-Savic helped Lazio win the 2018/19 Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italianas during his eight-year tenure.
Milinkovic-Savic, an imposing midfielder with excellent technical ability, piqued the curiosity of many when it was announced that he would be leaving Lazio, with Al-Hilal being the club to sign him. The Serbian international has had nothing but success in Saudi Arabia, winning the Pro League and King’s Cup in 2023/24 on a weekly salary of £405,729.
3Kylian Mbappe
£507,161 per week
If Kylian Mbappe had joined Real Madrid for a price, he would almost certainly have received an amazing salary. Mbappe’s free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain may have allowed Los Blancos to put together his current contract, which pays him a record £507,161 each week.
Mbappe established himself as one of the world’s best players with PSG, joining permanently in 2018, the same year he won the World Cup with France. Mbappe failed to win a Champions League in Paris, which is why the club bought him, but he had a fantastic seven years in the French city.
Mbappe will attempt to continue his amazing success with Real Madrid, where he will be managed by Xabi Alonso, with the goal of winning one of the main honors available to him.
2Erling Haaland
£525,000 per week
Erling Haaland’s 2024/25 season with Manchester City will most likely be remembered as his weakest to date. Given that the Norwegian has scored 22 Premier League goals, it demonstrates the incredible standards that Haaland has set for himself since going to Manchester in 2023.
City will be anxious to recover from a season with no major titles, which the club had not experienced in over a decade under Pep Guardiola. The Club World Cup would be a great way for the Sky Blues to kick off the new season, and Haaland, who makes £525,000 per week, is an obvious goalscorer and focal point for their attacking attempts.
1Kalidou Kouibaly
£563,152 per week
Kalidou Koulibaly may not have been the first name that came to mind when considering who would top a list like this one among the world’s highest-paid players. According to Capology, the defender earns the highest weekly wage of any player competing in the Club World Cup, at £563,162.
The Senegalese international has been at Al-Hilal since 2023, having previously spent a season in the Premier League with Chelsea, whom he may meet in the Club World Cup. Koulibaly is most known for his tenure with Napoli, which he joined from Genk in 2014.
The defender spent eight years in Naples, helping the club win the Coppa Italia in 2020, two years before leaving. With such a stunning salary, Koulibaly is anticipated to have a huge impact for Al-Hilal as they attempt to win the inaugural edition of the new Club World Cup.
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