An "elite group of super-expensive footballers" who each cost £26M ($40M) or more since '13 earn basic pay of £5.8M ($8.8M) a year on average, per official salary information published by FIFA, according to Nick Harris of the London DAILY MAIL. That "does not include any appearance money or performance-related bonuses, and is typically net of tax." When these are factored in, this particular group -- of 26 individuals, who made cross-border transfers in the past two years -- earn an average of £12.4M ($18.9M) a year each, or £238,462 ($363,400) a week. The English top flight is home to more of these "megabucks" footballers than any other league, with 12 of the 26 currently playing in England's top division. They are Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Willian and Radamel Falcao of Chelsea; Kevin De Bruyne, Eliaquim Mangala and Fernandinho of Man City, Anthony Martial and Ander Herrera of ManU, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Özil of Arsenal and Erik Lamela of Tottenham. The official report that reveals this wage data for the first time has been published by FIFA TMS, the FIFA subsidiary that runs the official global transfer matching system, the "mandatory computer tool that must now be used in all cross-border transfers." The report reveals there were 1,340 transfers in the summer into the 98 clubs in the "big five" leagues, but "only a third" of those deals involved a transfer fee, and the average cost of each paid-for player was £3.7M ($5.6M). The highest earning nationality is Spanish, when all leagues at all levels are considered, with Spaniards earning an average £560,000 ($853,400) per year. The next highest earning nationality is German averaging £550,000 ($838,100) a year, Belgian (£495,000) ($754,300), Swiss (£477,000) ($726,900), Chilean (£471,000) ($717,800), Italian (£470,000) ($716,200), Dutch (£462,000) ($704,000), French (£446,000) ($679,700) and Moroccan (£380,000) ($579,000) (DAILY MAIL, 9/23).
TOP EARNERS IN MLS: In London, Rohan Banerjee reported Brazilian Kaka is the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer ahead of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. The 33-year-old Kaka, winner of the Ballon d'Or in '07 when playing for AC Milan, is paid an annual salary of $6.66M at Orlando City. Gerrard, the former Liverpool captain who left Merseyside in the summer, is earning $6.2M per annum at L.A. Galaxy while his old England int'l teammate Lampard, now at NYCFC, is earning $6M per year. Elsewhere, Shaun-Wright Phillips earns "significantly less" than his brother Bradley at New York Red Bulls. Older sibling Shaun is at $116,004 per year, while free-scoring Bradley is paid $600,000 (DAILY MAIL, 9/22).
