African players are not just conquering the field in 2025, but they are also breaking wage books around the world. Together with the growing financial strength of the Saudi Pro League and European giants, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mané, and Kalidou Koulibaly are earning astronomical amounts. Mahrez tops the cake with over 52 million a year and this is an example of the African talent to be given respect and being financed all over the world. These footballers have been among the highest earning elite in football, with their dedication, victory, and global fame in Egypt, Nigeria, and Senegal. These are the most recent ranking of the 10 best-paid African footballers in 2025.
African Footballers Dominating Global Salaries
| Rank | Player | Country | Club (2025) | Weekly Salary (€) | Annual Salary (€) |
| 1 | Riyad Mahrez | Algeria | Al-Ahli | 1,000,000 | 52.2 million |
| 2 | Sadio Mané | Senegal | Al-Nassr | 769,231 | 40 million |
| 3 | Kalidou Koulibaly | Senegal | Al Hilal | 667,308 | 34.7 million |
| 4 | Victor Osimhen | Nigeria | Galatasaray | 404,000 | 21 million |
| 5 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool | 400,000 (£) | 20.8 million (£) |
| 6 | Omar Marmoush | Egypt | Manchester City | 295,000 (£) | 15.3 million (£) |
| 7 | Franck Kessié | Ivory Coast | Al-Ahli | 269,000 | 14 million |
| 8 | Achraf Hakimi | Morocco | PSG | 253,846 | 13.2 million |
| 9 | Iñaki Williams | Ghana | Athletic Bilbao | 219,231 | 11.4 million |
| 10 | Edouard Mendy | Senegal | Al-Ahli | 211,538 | 11 million |
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Middle East Clubs Redefine African Player Salaries
The Saudi Pro League is still transforming the global football economics by providing huge contracts and bonuses to African stars. Mahrez, Mané, and Koulibaly (among other players) have been taken by Middle Eastern clubs where they earn annual incomes that are higher than most of the salaries in Europe. The highest price of an African player is the deal of Riyad Mahrez at Al-Ahli which was a deal worth of 52 million euros. In the meantime, the transfer of Victor Osimhen to Galatasaray is the most expensive deal ever in the Turkish football history.European clubs have continued to be the centers of major earnersbanks- Salah at Liverpool and Hakimi at PSG have continued to represent the unmatched football influence of Africa in the top leagues of Europe.
