The 10 highest paid players in the Saudi Pro League: Ronaldo above Neymar, former Liverpool star in fifth place

Karim Benzema at Al-Ittihad, Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr and Neymar at Al Hilal

Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar are on lucrative contracts in Saudi Arabia

Teams in the Saudi Pro League have been flexing their financial muscles in the last 12 months and they can attract some of the biggest stars in European football.

The Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns Newcastle United, have taken control of the four largest teams in the Saudi Pro League – Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli – and are able to offer lucrative contracts to players.

We’ve taken a look at the 10 Saudi Pro League players with the highest weekly wage.

Note: All figures mentioned do not include the array of bonuses that are included in the fine print of every contract.

10. Aymeric Laporte – £405,473

After falling out of favour at Manchester City in the 2022/23 season, Laporte decided to join Al Nassr in a £23.6million move.

The Spain international is now earning £405,473-per-week, but he has still spoken out about dissatisfaction with aspects of life in Saudi Arabia.

“Many of us have also come here not only for football,” he said. “Many of us are happy with that, but I am also looking for something beyond that is not the economic part and such.

“In terms of quality of life, I expected something different because in the end here you spend three hours a day in the car. Riyadh is a waste of traffic, of time wasted in the car.”

9= N’Golo Kante – £418,066

Kante enjoyed a trophy-laden career at Chelsea, winning the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Champions League, the Europa League, the FIFA World Club Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.

Despite being offered a new contract at Stamford Bridge in 2023, he left on a free transfer and signed a two-year deal at Al Ittihad.

The World Cup-winning midfielder is paid a handsome £418,066-per-week and has already used some of that money to purchase third-tier Belgian side Royal Excelsior Virton.

He enjoyed an impressive debut season in the Saudi Pro League and his performances helped him earn a recall to the France squad for Euro 2024.

9= Alexsandar Mitrovic – £418,066

Mitrovic decided to leave Fulham in 2023 and forced through a £46million move to Al-Hilal, who agreed to pay the Serbia international £418,066-per-week.

“When I received the offer from Al-Hilal, I talked about it with my family, giving up was impossible,” he told reporters.

“I have no nostalgia for England, I played many years there. I’m happy to have finally arrived at a top club, Al-Hilal is a bit like Real Madrid in Europe.”

The striker netted 40 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions in his debut season, helping Al-Hilal win the Saudi Pro League, Saudi Super Cup and the King Cup.

9= Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – £418,066

Alongside Mitrovic, Al-Hilal also signed another Serbia international in the summer of 2023 after paying Lazio £34million for Milinkovic-Savic.

The midfielder had been linked with Juventus, Inter and a host of Premier League clubs, but he decided to move to Saudi Arabia.

He put pen to paper on a three-year contract and more than quadrupled his wages, going from £99,312-per-week in Rome to £418,066-per-week in Riyadh.

The 29-year-old netted 14 goals in his debut season and forged an impressive midfield partnership with former Wolves captain Ruben Neves.

6. Kalidou Koulibaly – £580,276

Koulibaly spent just one solitary season at Chelsea before packing his bags and joining Al-Hilal in a £17million deal in the summer of 2023.

The centre-back signed a three-year contract and is pocketing a reported £580,276-a-week, making him the highest-paid defender in the world.

“I can’t deny it,” Koulibaly said when asked about the money. “I will be able to help my whole family to live well, from my parents to my cousins, and support the activities of my Capitaine du Coeur association in Senegal.

“We started building a clinic in my parents’ village. I have many projects to help young people. I don’t like being on the bench doing nothing. I prefer to go where I am really wanted.”

5. Sadio Mane – £668,906

After enduring a difficult debut season at Bayern Munich in 2022/23, Mane left Europe and accepted a lucrative offer from Al-Nassr.

He has a weekly salary of £668,906 in Saudi Arabia and stands to earn around £139.1million over the course of a four-year deal.

The 32-year-old winger, who donates a lot of money to good causes, followed in Kante’s footsteps and bought fourth-tier French club Bourges Foot 18.

He’s also rediscovered his best form on the pitch, registering 19 goals and 11 assists in all competitions in 2023/24.

4. Riyad Mahrez – £872,923

Mahrez spent five years at Manchester City and bowed out in style by winning the Premier League, FA Cup and the Champions League in 2022/23.

The Algeria international then completed a £30million move to Al Ahli and is now being paid a reported £45.3million-per-year, equating to £872,923-per-week.

“I was offered four years in Saudi Arabia, in a Muslim country where I can definitely protect (and provide for) my family,” he said. “There was also a new challenge, and a new project. So, I decided to leave, it wasn’t a big deal.”

The 33-year-old appears to be enjoying himself out in Saudi Arabia, and he registered 12 goals and 14 assists in his debut season.

3= Karim Benzema – £1,672,265

Benzema brought the curtain down on his 14-year Real Madrid career in the summer of 2023 and joined Al-Ittihad on a free transfer.

He agreed to a three-year deal with the Saudi Arabian side and more than quadrupled his wages, going from £401,344-per-week in Madrid to £1.672million-per-week in Jeddah.

But the 36-year-old has struggled to justify those wages, netting just nine Saudi Pro League goals in 2023/24 as Al-Ittihad failed to retain their title.

He blamed his team-mates for his poor performances and also had a training ground bust-up with manager Marcello Gallardo, who ordered the striker to train alone after returning late from a holiday.

3= Neymar – £1,672,265

Neymar left Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 and joined Al Hilal in a deal that could be worth £86million, making him the most expensive player in the history of the Saudi Pro League.

Alongside the transfer fee, Al Hilal also shelled out a significant pay packet as they are giving him a reported £1.672million-per-week.

But the 32-year-old made just five appearances for the club before suffering a season-ending cruciate ligament injury while on international duty.

“I am fine,” Neymar said during Al Hilal’s title celebrations. “I am feeling good. I am impatient to be back on the pitch. The fans are unbelievable.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to give them the happiness they deserve, but you can be sure that next season we are going to have a lot of fun.”

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – £3,344,531

Ronaldo’s second spell at Manchester United came to an acrimonious end in November 2022 and his £515,000-a-week contract was terminated by mutual consent.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner then bid farewell to European football and put pen to paper on a two-year contract with Al-Nassr.

His salary in Saudi Arabia makes a mockery of his United income as he now earns £3.34million-per-week, making him the highest-paid footballer in the world.

The 39-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down, scoring 64 goals in his first 70 appearances in all competitions and helping Al-Nassr win the Arab Club Champions Cup.

READ MORE: The 10 highest paid players in the Premier League, with Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool stars raking it in

Cristiano Ronaldo Neymar Saudi Arabia

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