Top 10 Highest Paid African Footballers + Earnings (2024)
African footballers that play for major football clubs in Europe are among the highest paid soccer players in the world. It is no surprise as the African continent have potential talents and has been dully recognised internationally both at club and country level.
While most of these African football superstars earnings show that they are wealthy, most of them ply their trade either in the English premier league, Bundesliga, La Liga or even in Asia (Chinese Super League) where they receive fat salaries weekly and endorsement deals worth millions of Euros that enable them feature of this rich list.
Africa has produced some of the most gifted players in the world, as football in the continent has continued to gain popularity and respect around the globe.
Footballers’ salaries in Africa increased significantly in 2023, primarily as a result of their migration to the Middle East during the summer transfer window.
The top 10 highest-paid African football players this year are listed in this article was compiled by Nigerian Queries.
These athletes are among the wealthiest football players in the world because they have not only succeeded on the pitch but have landed big contracts and sponsorship deals.
African football players are incredibly talented and marketable, as seen by the top 10 highest-paid African players in 2024.
These players’ talents, diligence, and commitment to the sport have allowed them to succeed financially.
These African football heroes also exemplify how football can benefit both individuals and nations equally by acting as role models for aspiring players around the continent.
The list, which is primarily composed of football players who play in the Saudi Pro League, does not include any Nigerian players.
We shall list top 10 highest paid footballers in Africa for the year 2024 and the salaries they earn weekly while playing for their respective football clubs.
TOP 10 HIGHEST PAID AFRICAN FOOTBALLERS IN 2024
The world’s top paid African football players are listed below.
MOHAMED SALAH, LIVERPOOL — $53 MILLION
Mohamed Salah ranks as the best paid African football player this 2024.
The English Premier League’s top scorer on a regular basis is the star player for Liverpool and Egypt’s national team.
In addition to becoming a legendary player for Liverpool, Salah almost made history by being the most expensive player in the Saudi Pro League when Al Ittihad reportedly made an astounding $190 million transfer fee offer, which Liverpool turned down on deadline day.
Outside of the field, Mo Salah has endorsement partnerships with Pepsi, Vodafone, and Adidas for his trademark boot.
SADIO MANÉ, AL NASSR — $52 MILLION
Salah is closely followed by Sadio Mané, a former Liverpool player. The Senegalese forward, who is well-known for his lightning-fast speed and superb ball control, has reached the highest levels of the game.
With 37 career goals, Mané is the most prolific Senegalese football player in history and presently tops his country’s scoring rankings.
Mane departed the Premier League after a fruitful stint in England with Liverpool to try his luck in the Bundesliga with German powerhouse Bayern Munich.
Nevertheless, the charitable winger signed a mega-money contract to join Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr following a challenging season in Germany.
With that agreement, he would practically be paid more than any other African football player in history when it comes to on-field compensation, and this 2024, he would rank among the top paid players worldwide.
Mané has several profitable off-field partnerships, the most notable of which is with well-known clothing company New Balance.
RIYAD MAHREZ, AL ALHI — $32 MILLION
A major contributor to Manchester City’s recent victories, Riyad Mahrez left in the summer to join other African players in Saudi Arabia.
The Algerian captain, whose current salary is thought to be $30 million annually, joined with Al Alhi of the Saudi Pro League, earning more than three times his salary at Man City.
Mahrez allegedly had endorsement agreements with Pepsi and Nike off the pitch.
KALIDOU KOULIBALY, AL HILAL — $26 MILLION
Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly is well-liked for his remarkable power, quickness, and game reading skills.
Since then, Koulibaly has shown to be among the top African defenders in the world.
Before joining Chelsea, Koulibaly spent more than seven years as a player for Serie A team Napoli.
The 32-year-old defender, who will make almost $26 million a year, had to conclude his time at Chelsea, though, as he acknowledged he was unable to refuse a life-altering transfer to Saudi Arabia during the 2023 summer transfer window.
“I’m going to Arabia for the money; I can’t help myself. From my parents to my relatives, I will be able to support my entire family’s well-being,” Koulibaly declared in a statement, which “Corriere dello Sport” published.
Koulibaly continues to be one of the most popular Senegalese football players on social media off the pitch.
ACHRAF HAKIMI, PARIS SAINT GERMAIN — $20 MILLION
Achraf Hakimi, a player for Paris Saint-Germain, is regarded by many as one of the most marketable African athletes worldwide.
The Moroccan international is well-known for his remarkable quickness and adaptability on the pitch.
He is known for his attacking ability and typically plays as a full-back or wing-back. He can contribute offensively as well as defensively.
Hakimi earns one of the highest salaries of any Moroccan football player and has played for elite teams like Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Inter Milan.
The 24-year-old is one of the most social media-active football players off the pitch and is well-known for being best friends with Kylian Mbappe, one of the highest-paid players in the world.
Achraf Hakimi has endorsement agreements with a number of well-known companies, including Nike, Pepsi, and Huawei. He is presently sponsored by Adidas UK.
In addition, he has starred in commercials for Beats by Dre and Puma. He is among the most popular African football players on social media.
FRANCK KESSIÉ, AL ALHI — $17 MILLION
After a brief stint in Barcelona, where he helped the team win the LaLiga EA Sports championship the previous season, Franck Kessié moved to Al Alhi, a Saudi Pro League team.
Kessie is a dynamic player with good passing ability, a strong physical presence, and an acute sense of when to score goals.
In the world of football, Kessie has made a name for himself as one of the most energetic and in-demand midfielders.
He has a few sponsorship contracts outside of the game, one of which being with Adidas.
Franck Kessie is the highest paid Ivorian football player in the world as of 2024.
THOMAS PARTEY, ARSENAL — $16 MILLION
Partey is seen as one of the top defensive midfielders in the Premier League because of his versatility, strong defensive playmaking, and accurate passing.
In addition, Partey is the third-most-followed Ghanaian football player on social media and among the highest paid players at Arsenal.
Apart from the field, Partey has secured multiple endorsement and sponsorship agreements with prominent brands such as Adidas, making her one of the most prominent Ghanaian athletes globally.
SEKO FOFANA, AL NASSR — $16 MILLION
One of the highest paid African football players in 2024 is Seko Fofana.
During the summer transfer season, Ivorian midfielder Seko Fofana made the decision to join the Saudi Pro League from RC Lens in Ligue 1.
Fofana, who came through Manchester City’s junior programme, is renowned for his flexibility and commanding presence in midfield and has established himself as one of the top defenders in the French league.
But Fofana finished his summer transfer to Al Nassr, where he now makes over ten times as much as he did at his former team.
He is among the highest paid Ivorian football players in the world as of 2024.
SÉBASTIEN HALLER, BORUSSIA DORTMUND — $14 MILLION
Sebastien Haller also ranks among the top paid African football players.
When Sebastien Haller returned to Germany last year, he had a difficult beginning to his life.
The former striker for Ajax, West Ham, and Eintracht Frankfurt was well-known for his ability to score goals. In 2022, he received a testicular cancer diagnosis, which he recovered to return to professional football in January 2023.
With several lucrative deals to his name off the pitch, including one with Puma, Haller is among the highest-paid African football players in the world as of 2024 and the highest-paid player at Borussia Dortmund.
EDOUARD MENDY, AL ALHI — $13 MILLION
The Senegalese keeper Edouard Mendy is highly recognised for his superb ability to stop shots.
Mendy made a big impression on Chelsea FC after joining from Rennes in 2020. He was vital in the team’s defensive stability and helped them win multiple championships, including the UEFA Champions League.
But Mendy’s progress stalled as he soon discovered that getting game time at Stamford Bridge was difficult.
During the summer transfer window, he inked a tempting contract with Al Hilal, a team in the Saudi Pro League.
HOW WE CAME ABOUT THE RANKINGS & FIGURES
The combined total of on-field earnings for the 2023–24 season, including base salaries, bonuses, and off-field estimates that reflect yearly cash from endorsements, sponsorships, social media revenue, and the players’ own businesses, is what makes up the Nigerian Queries ranking of Africa’s highest-paid football players.
The numbers came from talks with subject-matter experts as well as freely available databases like Forbes and Capology.com.
The current conversion rate is used to convert all of the figures referenced in this article to U.S. dollars.
