20 Highest-Paid African Footballers in the World [2025]

 

Since the turn of the 21st century, there has been a huge influx of footballing talent coming from Africa. The Premier League has seen plenty of foreign talent come to England, but the game has gone global to a level that it has never previously reached. Over the years, more and more players from the continent have played for some of the world’s biggest clubs and, as a result, they’ve become some of the highest-paid footballers on the planet.

 

In recent years, especially, the level of wages being paid to players has only gotten higher and higher, and it’s currently at a level that seemed unimaginable not too long ago. With that being said, we’ve decided to take a look at the 20 highest-paid African footballers on the planet.

 

20 Highest-Paid African Footballers in World Football

 

Rank

 

Player

 

Team

 

Wage

 

1

 

Riyad Mahrez

 

Al-Ahli

 

£827,448-a-week

 

2

 

Sadio Mane

 

Al-Nassr

 

£634,060-a-week

 

3

 

Kalidou Koulibaly

 

Al-Hilal

 

£550,047-a-week

 

4

 

Mohamed Salah

 

Liverpool

 

£350,000-a-week

 

5

 

Achraf Hakimi

 

PSG

 

£230,639-a-week

 

6

 

Franck Kessie

 

Al-Ahli

 

£221,921-a-week

 

7

 

Thomas Partey

 

Arsenal

 

£200,000-a-week

 

8

 

Inaki Williams

 

Athletic Bilbao

 

£180,707-a-week

 

9

 

Edouard Mendy

 

Al-Ahli

 

£174,366-a-week

 

10

 

Victor Osimhen

 

Galatasary (on loan from Napoli)

 

£158,515-a-week

 

11

 

Yassine Bounou

 

Al-Hilal

 

£158,515-a-week

 

12

 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

 

Al-Qadsiah

 

£158,358-a-week

 

13

 

Serhou Guirassy

 

Borussia Dortmund

 

£149,480-a-week

 

14

 

Noussair Mazraoui

 

Manchester United

 

£135,000-a-week

 

15

 

Sebastien Haller

 

Utrecht (on loan from Borussia Dortmund)

 

£134,738-a-week

 

16

 

Abdoulaye Doucoure

 

Everton

 

£130,000-a-week

 

17

 

Idrissa Gana Gueye

 

Everton

 

£120,000-a-week

 

18

 

Brahim Diaz

 

Real Madrid

 

£115,557-a-week

 

19

 

Ismael Bennacer

 

AC Milan

 

£111,594-a-week

 

20

 

Youssef En-Nesyri

 

Fenerbahce

 

£105,729-a-week

 

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15Sebastien Haller – £134,738-a-week

 

Utrecht (on loan from Borussia Dortmund)

 

A transfer agreed at the money-time saw Sebastian Haller complete a loan switch to Leganes this summer. Restricted to a substitute role, Sebastien Haller endured a particularly tricky season last term with Borussia Dortmund (three goals and one assist in 19 appearances). So the summer transfer window was an opportunity for him to move on.

 

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Initially a surprising move, the Spanish side presented an exotic destination where the former Ajax and West Ham man was destined to rediscover his goalscoring prowess, all while still earning the lofty wage he was over in Germany. His spell was less than fruitful, though, and he returned to Dortmund before being sent back out on loan to Dutch side, Utrecht.

 

14Noussair Mazraoui – £135,000-a-week

 

Manchester United

 

Arriving to very little fanfare in the summer, no Manchester United fan could’ve foreseen the impact that Noussair Mazraoui would have on proceedings, especially when Ruben Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November. As dependable as he is versatile, the Moroccan star has played a number of roles for his new employers, all while earning £135,000-per-week.

 

Swiftly becoming one of the best right-backs in the Premier League right now, the 1997-born has proven to be worth his weight in gold and looks to be nailed on as a starter at the Theatre of Dreams for the foreseeable future. For all of Manchester United’s notable transfer gaffes in the past, the addition of Mazraoui has bucked that trend.

 

Noussair Mazraoui – Manchester United contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£135,000

 

Contract signed

 

August 13, 2024

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2028

 

13Serhou Guirassy – £149,480-a-week

 

Borussia Dortmund

 

Another African asset earning quite the wealth over at Borussia Dortmund is Serhou Guirassy. After a remarkable season with VfB Stuttgart last term, as he bagged 25 goals in 26 Bundesliga games, firing mooted relegation candidates to European qualification, the Guinean is well worth his £149,480 weekly payout.

 

To kickstart the 2024/25 campaign at his new club, he has already notched 13 goals and a further four assists in 20 appearances across all competitions – with him netting six strikes in as many Champions League outings. Already, he looks well-positioned to pay his wage back with interest.

 

Serhou Guirassy – Borussia Dortmund contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£149,480

 

Contract signed

 

July 18, 2024

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2028

 

12Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – £158,358-a-week

 

Al-Qadsiah

 



 

It’s a testament to how wild spending has gotten within football that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is earning £158,358 a week playing for a team like Al-Qadsiah. Now, the Saudi Arabian club have the riches and financial freedom of the Middle East, but they aren’t a name anyone in Europe would have been familiar with before swooping for the former Arsenal forward over the summer.

 

After a scintillating tenure with Marseille, which saw the Gabonese talisman score 27 goals in Ligue 1 and the Europa League last season, he hasn’t quite found his shooting boots at his new club, finding the back of the net just seven times in 14 appearances. However, given how much he is earning for the privilege, he probably won’t mind.

 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Al-Qadsiah contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£158,358

 

Contract signed

 

July 18, 2024

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2026

 

11Yassine Bounou – £158,515-a-week

 

Al-Hilal

 

The first goalkeeper on this list, but not the last, Yassine Bounou had just won a Europa League trophy with Sevilla when he decided to leave the Spanish club and move to the Saudi Pro League. When looking at the wages that Al-Hilal were willing to pay him, who can blame him? The shot-stopper is a fantastic player and actually won the Player of the Match award in the Europa League final as Sevilla beat AS Roma and was a massive grab for Al-Hilal.

 

He’s been a key figure for the Saudi Pro League side, too. They’re currently sitting first in the league and seem to be the outright favourites to get their hands on the trophy by the time all is said and done. He’s been fantastic for them and has definitely earned his £158,515-per-week wages so far.

 

Yassine Bounou – Al-Hilal contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£158,515

 

Contract signed

 

August 17, 2023

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2026

 

10Victor Osimhen – £158,515-a-week

 

Napoli (on loan at Galatasary)

 

While a lot of the players on this list are likely to earn the most they ever will, Victor Osimhen is a star who’s almost guaranteed to earn a pay-rise in the near future. The striker has been nothing short of sublime for Napoli in Serie A over the last few years, and with so many clubs keen to take him off of the Italian club’s hands, it feels safe to assume he’ll be on the receiving end of another bumper contract soon, despite having to settle for a loan move to Galatasary in the meantime.

 

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With clubs like Chelsea interested, there’s no telling just how much Osimhen will earn in the future, but it will likely see him climb this list quite significantly. He’s earned it too. There are few goalscorers of his calibre on the planet, and considering he only relatively recently signed the new deal, he’s going to cost a hell of a lot to pry away.

 

Victor Osimhen – Napoli contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£158,515

 

Contract signed

 

December 23, 2023

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2026

 

9Edouard Mendy – £174,366-a-week

 

Al-Ahli

 

Another goalkeeper who made the move to the Saudi Pro League last summer, and became one of the highest-paid African footballers in the world in the process, is Edouard Mendy. The former Chelsea man had a brief, yet eventful time at Stamford Bridge, first coming in as the first-choice keeper, before falling out of favour.

 

He left for Al-Ahli last summer and was offered a massive salary to make the move. He’s been ever-present for the side this year too, playing in 15 games in all competitions, keeping seven clean sheets in that period. The club currently sit in fifth place in the table and have lost just four times all year. Not bad at all.

 

Edouard Mendy – Al-Ahli contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£174,366

 

Contract signed

 

July 01, 2023

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2026

 

8Inaki Williams – £180,707-a-week

 

Athletic Bilbao

Spending pretty much his entire senior career at Athletic Bilbao, it’s quite fitting that Inaki Williams has been rewarded by the club with such a large weekly wage of £180,707. The glittering forward, the older brother of Nico, is a legend at the Spanish club and has been performing at a high level for them for close to a decade now.

 

Despite constant rumours about a move away, he’s never forced himself out of Bilbao and has remained focused on the team throughout his entire run. There are few club icons quite like him in the world, and he’s deserving of every penny he gets from Bilbao. With his current contract running until the summer of 2028, it’s unlikely he’ll be leaving anytime soon either.

 

Inaki Williams – Athletic Bilbao contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£180,707-a-week

 

Contract signed

 

August 12, 2019

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2028

 

7Thomas Partey – £200,000-a-week

 

Arsenal

 

After impressing at Atletico Madrid, Arsenal signed Thomas Partey in 2020 and, right off the bat, offered him pretty large wages. The Gunners activated his release clause at Atletico and paid £45m to bring him to England while paying him £200,000 a week once he made the move.

 

He’s been a dependable figure in the middle of the park for Mikel Arteta’s side ever since, but considering he’s now 31 years old, has played in all but one game for the north Londoners this season and given his contract expires next summer, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be making this sort of money for much longer.

 

Thomas Partey – Arsenal contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£200,000

 

Contract signed

 

October 5, 2020

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2025

 

6Franck Kessie – £221,921-a-week

 

Al-Ahli

 

After a short break, we’re back with another star who’s earning major money in the Saudi Pro League. It’s another player on Al-Ahli’s books too, as Franck Kessie is earning just over £221,921 on a weekly basis at the Saudi Arabian club. The Ivory Coast international made a name for himself at AC Milan but joined Barcelona in the summer of 2022.

 

His time in Spain was rough, and after just a year, he moved to Al-Ahli and has been on a very nice salary ever since. He’s more than doing enough to earn it as well. Last season, he directly contributed to 14 goals in 31 league appearances. Not bad for a central midfielder.

 

Franck Kessie – Al-Ahli contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£221,921

 

Contract signed

 

August 09, 2023

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2026

 

5Achraf Hakimi – £230,639-a-week

 

PSG

 

One of the most talented full-backs in the world, you could argue that Achraf Hakimi should probably actually be on more money considering just how many teams have been interested in him over the years. The clubs he’s played for read like a real who’s-who of top European sides. Starting with Real Madrid, it was a loan spell at Borussia Dortmund that saw him emerge as an elite talent.

 

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He then spent one season at Inter Milan and flourished in Italy, before Paris Saint-Germain spent big to bring him to France in 2021. In the years since, the Moroccan has regularly been one of the Ligue 1 club’s standout stars and considering he’s still just 26 years old, he might be due a pay-rise in the future too.

 

Achraf Hakimi – PSG contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£230,639

 

Contract signed

 

July 06, 2021

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2026

 

4Mohamed Salah – £350,000-a-week

 

Liverpool

 

We take a big jump now as the next player on this list is making north of £100,000 more a week than Fofana, but when it’s Mohamed Salah, is anyone really that surprised? The Egyptian has been a sensation at Liverpool and it can’t be overstated just how important he was to Jurgen Klopp’s side over the years.

 

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The club has benefitted tremendously from his presence over the last few years, and it’s hard to imagine they’d have been half as successful if they hadn’t brought him into the fold back in 2017. With so many clubs interested in prying him away from Anfield, the Reds decided to offer Salah a bumper new deal on £350,000 a week in the summer of 2022, but considering just how good he’s been this year, it was the right call.

 

Mohamed Salah – Liverpool contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£350,000

 

Contract signed

 

July 01, 2022

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2025

 

3Kalidou Koulibaly – £550,047-a-week

 

Al-Hilal

 

We’re getting into quite frankly ridiculous numbers now. After making a name for himself at Napoli as one of the best centre-backs in Europe, Kalidou Koulibaly joined Chelsea in 2022. He may have waited too long, though, as by the time he came to the Premier League, he was on the wrong side of 30 and struggled to keep up with the pace of the English top flight.

 

He left Stamford Bridge after just one season with the Blues, joining Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. He did so, pocketing a monumental £550,047 a week, which is an astonishing figure for the 33-year-old. It’s hard to say whether he’s earned such a massive figure, but he’s definitely helped his club establish a healthy lead at the top of the league and seems almost certain to win the trophy at the end of the season, so there’s that.

 

Kalidou Koulibaly – Al-Hilal contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£550,047

 

Contract signed

 

July 01, 2023

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2026

 

2Sadio Mane – £634,060-a-week

 

Al-Nassr

 

After a solitary season at Bayern Munich, where Sadio Mane failed to replicate the form he’d shown at Liverpool, he was offered a ridiculous salary to join Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. £634,060 every single week is a wild number. The forward has earned a reputation for being one of the most electric players in the world, though, following his exploits at Anfield.

 

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He’s a huge star and a recognisable face, something which the Saudi Pro League was desperate to add over the years. He was one of many players who came to Saudi Arabia and was offered massive money to do so. Only one African player is currently on more money than he is a week and that’s another former Premier League man who joined the Saudi Pro League last summer.

 

Sadio Mane – Al-Nassr contract details

 

Weekly wage

 

£634,060

 

Contract signed

 

August 01, 2023

 

Expiration

 

June 30, 2026

 

1Riyad Mahrez – £827,448-a-week

 

Al-Ahli

 

The highest-paid African footballer in the world. It’s hard to imagine anyone predicting that would be the case when Riyad Mahrez first signed for Leicester City back in 2014. The forward swiftly emerged as one of the best players in the world since then, though, winning the Premier League with the Foxes and becoming a megastar in the process.

 

He then went on to join Manchester City and was a focal point of Pep Guardiola’s dominance there for several years. Now, at 33 years old, he’s earning more money than he ever has in his life. Earning close to £1 million a week – 827,448, to be precise – at his age is pretty wild. He’s scored 19 times and recorded 12 assists in his first 54 games for Al-Ahli, so his scary wage is somewhat justifiable when his club has the gold to pour all over him without feeling the repercussions.

 

Riyad Mahrez – Al-Ahli contract details

 

Weekly wage