PSG has the highest payroll in the world, according to research
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is the team with the highest wage bill in the world, according to a survey by the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. The study reveals that PSG disburses €729 million (R$4 billion) per year in wages for its squad, which includes stars like Mbappé, Neymar and Messi, the famous “trio MNM”.
The value registered by PSG is a record in the history of football. Never before has a club spent so much on player salaries. The list of highest paid athletes in Europe has three Paris members in the Top 3: Mbappé, Neymar and Messi. The French striker has the highest salary in the world, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr.
Real Madrid and Barcelona complete the podium of this ranking
Real Madrid and Barcelona, two of the biggest clubs in the world, complete the podium on the list of clubs that spend the most on their squads. After all, both have a squad full of stars and to keep players like Vinicius Jr, Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, among others, they need to disburse more than R$ 2.4 billion annually.
Complete list of the 10 most expensive payrolls in the world:
PSG: €729 million (R$4 billion)
Real Madrid: €519 million (R$2.8 billion)
Barcelona: €457 million (R$2.5 billion)
Manchester United: €453 million (R$2.5 billion)
Liverpool: €432 million (R$2.4 billion)
Manchester City: €418 million (R$2.3 billion)
Chelsea: €401 million (R$2.2 billion)
Bayern Munich: €349 million (R$1.9 billion)
Juventus: €337 million (R$1.8 billion)
Arsenal: €251 million (R$1.4 billion)
Although not at the top of the list, English clubs make up the majority in the Top 10, with five Premier League representatives including Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal. Furthermore, only clubs from the five major leagues (England, Italy, Spain, France and Germany) make the top 10 on the list.
Following the list, Inter Milan is in 11th place, with expenses of €248 million (R$ 1.3 billion), while Tottenham, another English team, is 12th, with expenses of €247 million.
Trend of increasingly expensive wage bills
The leadership position of PSG and the other clubs in salary expenses reflects the aggressive strategy of the clubs to assemble a team of stars, in order to win titles. However, the high costs also bring great financial challenges. The survey shows that clubs continue to spend fortunes on salaries, despite the financial crisis caused by the pandemic.
However, even with the crisis and payments already being astronomical, the constant appreciation of players and the desire of clubs to obtain more and more achievements, indicate that salaries will be more and more expensive. Not only involving the salary itself, but also other contractual additions such as help in making decisions at the club.