The 10 Highest-Paid Strikers In The World
- Think Football Ideas
- 12 hours ago
- 6 min read
If there’s one thing football’s consistently shown, it’s that goals change games, and the men who score them change bank balances. In today’s razor-edged game, a lethal striker is every bit as essential as a playmaking maestro or defensive wall. Clubs aren’t just chasing goals, they’re writing cheques the size of stadiums to get them.
In this golden age of the number nine, attackers are the royalty of the football economy. With transfer fees hitting new highs, weekly wages are sprinting to keep up. Whether it’s Europe’s elite or Saudi Arabia’s rising giants, strikers are cashing in like never before. But who’s making the most in 2025? Let’s count them down.
Here Are The 10 Highest-Paid Strikers In The World
10. Dusan Vlahovic – Juventus – £314,076 Per Week
At just 25, Dusan Vlahovic already boasts the kind of résumé that turns heads. The Serbian hitman has notched up 125 goals in 285 club appearances, and he’s only just getting warmed up. Juventus have seen enough to double down on their investment, offering a fresh contract that’ll reportedly rise to €12 million per year by the 2025/26 season.
Vlahovic combines old-school physicality with modern finesse. After moving to Juventus in January 2022, he quickly became the focal point of their attack. For a club trying to rediscover its Serie A dominance, locking in their main man was non-negotiable, and his wage now reflects that.
9. Jhon Duran – Al-Nassr – £322,000 Per Week
This one's a bolt from the blue. At just 21 years old, Colombian striker Jhon Duran has taken one of the biggest leaps in football's recent history, from playing backup at Aston Villa to earning over £300k a week at Saudi giants Al-Nassr.
Signed in 2024, Duran's move shocked many, but when you’re offered a life-changing wage and the chance to link up with Cristiano Ronaldo, you don’t ask twice.
From Premier League Fringe to Saudi Spotlight, Jhon Duran's name still echoes around Europe, with whispers of a potential return already swirling. He hit the ground running in the Saudi Pro League, scoring twice on his debut in a 3–0 win over Al-Fayha in February 2025.
8. Aleksandar Mitrovic – Al Hilal – £403,904 Per Week
If there’s ever been a striker who thrives on proving people wrong, it’s Aleksandar Mitrovic. After bulldozing defences with Fulham, Mitro made the bold move to Al Hilal in August 2023. At 30, many felt he still had years left at the top level in Europe. But the Saudi riches and the promise of a leading role proved too tempting.
And he’s not just there for the paychecks, as his 60 goals in 67 games say it all. He spearheaded Al Hilal’s charge to the Saudi Pro League title, and in terms of value for money, the club are grinning from ear to ear.
7. Harry Kane – Bayern Munich – £403,904 Per Week
England’s golden boy, Harry Kane made the leap in August 2023, finally bidding farewell to Tottenham Hotspur in search of silverware. The destination? German powerhouse Bayern Munich. The result? Goals. Lots of them.
In his debut season, Kane recorded a ridiculous 56 goal contributions in 44 appearances, a seamless transition from the Premier League to the Bundesliga. The only thing missing for Kane was silverware. Ironically, Bayern endured a rare drought in his debut season (2023/24), finishing empty-handed.
But under Vincent Kompany, they stormed back in 2024/25 to reclaim the Bundesliga crown. Kane’s ambition is crystal clear, and at over £400,000 a week, Bayern are backing their captain of goals to become their captain of even greater glory.
6. Ivan Toney – Al-Ahli – £412,143 Per Week
From the Championship grind to Premier League breakout star, Ivan Toney’s story is all about perseverance. By summer 2024, the Brentford striker decided it was time to cash in, and off he went to Al-Ahli.
Now earning over £400k a week, Toney’s early impact in the Saudi Pro League has been more than just promising, with 23 goals in 32 games [and still counting] as well as a key role in Al-Ahli’s 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite triumph. For someone who was climbing the ranks with Peterborough in League One not so long ago, this is a dream payday come true.
5. Kylian Mbappe – Real Madrid – £502,253 Per Week
It finally happened. After years of transfer sagas and will-he-won’t-he drama, Kylian Mbappe officially joined Real Madrid in June 2024. In a twist that stunned many, the French superstar took a pay cut to make the dream move happen, though let’s be honest, earning £502,253 per week still keeps him firmly among football’s financial elite.
While Real Madrid finished behind Barcelona in La Liga and ended the 2024–25 campaign without major team silverware, Mbappe still delivered where it counted—clinching the European Golden Shoe. His blistering pace, lethal finishing, and sheer star power made him the standout forward across Europe, even in a season without trophies.
At just 26, already PSG’s all-time top scorer and widely seen as the heir to the Ronaldo–Messi era, Mbappe is Madrid’s new galáctico. The titles will come. For now, he’s earning big and scoring bigger.
4. Erling Haaland – Manchester City – £525,000 Per Week
If there’s one striker who’s turned goalscoring into an almost robotic routine, it’s Erling Haaland. Signed in summer 2022, the Norwegian has absolutely terrorised Premier League defences.
That debut season? 52 goals and a treble (Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League). It was the stuff of legend. And even now, Haaland keeps scoring like it’s programmed into his DNA. At £525k per week, City are getting generational value.
3. Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona – £538,484 Per Week
Talk about ageing like fine wine. After nearly a decade dominating for Bayern, Lewandowski made the jump to Barcelona in July 2022, aged 33. Most expected a dip. Instead, he’s kept the fire blazing.
With 88 goals in two and a half seasons, plus a La Liga title in 2022/23, Lewandowski has more than justified his wage. At over £538k a week, he remains one of the most well-paid and well-rounded strikers on the planet.
2. Karim Benzema – Al-Ittihad – £1,607,211 Per Week
When Karim Benzema left Real Madrid in the summer of 2023, it marked the end of an era. But also, the beginning of a golden chapter, quite literally. Al-Ittihad came knocking with a deal worth over £1.6 million a week.
The adjustment wasn’t smooth, as there were reports of early frustrations and tactical mismatches swirling. But Benzema found his footing, finishing with 28 goals in 46 games. At 37, he’s not the force he once was, but that paycheck says he’s still very much box office.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – Al-Nassr – £3,231,230 Per Week
Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t just the highest-paid striker on Earth; he’s making history off the pitch, too. In June 2025, the 40-year-old icon signed a jaw-dropping two-year extension with Al-Nassr, tying him to the Saudi Pro League until summer 2027.
The numbers? Outrageous, £3.23 million per week, with bonuses that catapult his total earnings to levels no athlete has ever reached. He doubled down on the Saudi project, snubbing whispers of a final move or Club World Cup cameo in the U.S.
Reports claim his new deal includes a £24.5 million signing bonus, performance incentives worth up to £8 million, a salary package of £178 million annually, and even a 15% ownership stake in Al-Nassr valued at £33 million. This isn’t just a football contract, it’s a legacy manoeuvre.
And he’s still backing it up with goals. Since arriving in December 2022, Ronaldo has scored 93 goals in 105 appearances, led the league in scoring two seasons running, and smashed the single-season record with 35 in 2023/24.
Al-Nassr finished third last campaign, prompting a coaching change, but their all-in talisman is far from finished. As he posted after signing: “Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together.” Forty years old? Sure. But the fire is still burning.