La Liga Players: Who Earns the Most Money in 2023?
Soccer is by far the most popular sport in the world. Naturally, that means there’s a lot of money involved, especially in the top leagues. La Liga is Spain’s premier soccer league, and it’s also one of the most competitive leagues in the world — home to famous clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Those great La Liga clubs also have a lot of well-paid players, so here’s a look at the La Liga players who earn the most money in the league in 2023.
10. Koke: $17 million
Capology detailed what the top La Liga players made, and Koke ranks 10th in gross pay per this year. The midfielder for Atlético Madrid has one year left on his contract. While playing for his club, Atlético Madrid won two championships.
9. Ilkay Gündogan: $19.9 million
Ilkay Gündogan is a German midfielder for Barcelona, and he has two years left on his contract, which equals almost $40 million in gross salary. He’s had a very successful career in other leagues, including FC Nürnberg and Borussia Dortmund. With Manchester City, Gündogan helped his club win five consecutive Premier League titles from 2017–22.
8. Jan Oblak: $22.2 million
Jan Oblak re-signed with Atlético Madrid last year, and he has five years left on his contract. In total, the goalkeeper has over $110 million in gross salary coming his way. Oblak helped Atlético Madrid win in 2021. The now-30-year-old was also named the best goalkeeper in La Liga several times.
7. Robert Lewandowski: $22.2 million
Robert Lewandowski signed with Barcelona last year, and he has three years left, which equals approximately $66.5 million in gross salary. The Polish striker has won in the Bundesliga multiple times and won the European Golden Shoe twice.
6. Vinicius Junior: $22.2 million
Vinicius Junior is a Brazilian winger for Real Madrid and has one year left on his contract. The 23-year-old has helped Real Madrid win La Liga twice already, so the young star has a bright future ahead.
5. Jude Bellingham: $22.2 million
Jude Bellingham is a midfielder for Real Madrid, signing with the club earlier this year. He has six years left on his contract, which adds up to $133 million in gross salary. He’s 20 years old, so he hasn’t achieved too much, but he’s won his fair share of youth awards.
4. Luka Modrić: $23.3 million
Luka Modrić is another midfielder for Real Madrid, and he has one year left on his contract. The 38-year-old midfielder has helped his club win La Liga three times and helped the Croatian national team perform well in the World Cup. Notably, they were the runner-ups in 2018 and third place in 2022.
3. David Alaba: $23.9 million
David Alaba also plays for Real Madrid, and he has three years left on his contract. In total, the 31-year-old’s contract has nearly $72 million coming his way. The Austrian center-back/left-back has helped Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga 10 years in a row. In 2022, Alaba contributed to Real Madrid’s title, too.
2. Toni Kroos: $25.9 million
Toni Kroos plays for Real Madrid as well, and he has one year left on his deal. The German midfielder has his share of league titles in Germany and Spain, but notably, the 33-year-old helped Germany win the World Cup in 2014.
1. Frenkie de Jong: $39.9 million
De Jong is a Dutch midfielder with three years left on his contract for Barcelona. In total, the 26-year-old will earn almost $120 million for those three years. A young and promising player, de Jong helped Barca win last season.
