The World's Richest Football Squads
A 2026 report on the richest footballers found that Real Madrid has the wealthiest squad in the world right now. A new study by the football predictions platform The Daily Punt reveals which soccer teams field the most valuable squads.
- Real Madrid has the richest starting eleven in world football, with their top players holding a combined $942 million.
- The PSG squad that reached the UCL final is worth over half a billion, with Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé holding $141 million alone.
- Liverpool has the wealthiest players in the Premier League, valued at $658 million together.
The research examined the top 20 football clubs to find which teams have the wealthiest lineups. For each club, the study identified the strongest starting eleven based on first-team appearances. The report then calculated each player's estimated net worth using gross career earnings, including salaries and bonuses from their entire professional careers. Clubs were ranked by adding up the combined wealth of their top stars, showing which teams have the richest players.
Here's a look at the top 10 clubs with the richest starting lineups:
You can access the complete research findings here.
1. Real Madrid
- League: La Liga
- Country: Spain
- Net worth of starting XI: $941.7 million
Real Madrid has the wealthiest starting eleven in world football. The club's top players hold a combined net worth of nearly $942 million, about $166 million more than second-place Bayern München. The team’s leader, Kylian Mbappé, holds over $300+ million alone, while their goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, is estimated at another $147 million.
2. Bayern München
Bayern München comes second with their starting eleven worth $775 million. The German club's lineup includes some of football's highest earners, led by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer at $178 million and striker Harry Kane at $158 million. Joshua Kimmich, who has been with the club for over 10 years now, is also estimated at $138 million, making him one of the richest German footballers.
3. Liverpool
Liverpool ranks third with the Premier League’s richest squad. The English side’s main goalscorer, Mohamed Salah, is the wealthiest among the team, worth $170 million. The club’s captain, Virgil van Dijk, is also among the richest, estimated at $144M. Between the two of them, Virgil and Mo actually account for nearly half of Liverpool's total squad value ($658 million).
4. Barcelona
Barcelona takes fourth place with their best eleven worth $657 million, just $400K behind Liverpool. Frenkie de Jong leads Barcelona's lineup at $115 million, though the Dutch midfielder's net worth falls well short of the top earners at Real Madrid and Liverpool. Jules Koundé is next with $61 million, while Pedri is worth $53 million, despite being just 23 years old.
5. Manchester City
Manchester City rounds out the top five, with its starting lineup holding $590 million in combined wealth. The newly joined Gianluigi Donnarumma is the club’s most valuable player, holding over $130 million thanks to the generous contracts at his former club PSG. The Ballon d'Or winner Rodri is the second-richest player in the squad, worth $80 million, while Rúben Dias is estimated at $72 million.