Saudi Pro League's Highest-Paid Stars: Ronaldo, Benzema Lead Lucrative 2025-26 Season

Once, the gravitational pull of global football lay firmly in Europe. The Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and the Bundesliga were where the money flowed and the legends gathered. Today, the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia has rewritten that script. In just two years, the Saudi Pro League has transformed itself into one of the richest and most star-studded competitions in the world. With the full weight of the state and its Public Investment Fund behind it, the league has lured icons from Manchester, Madrid, and Munich with contracts that dwarf anything seen before.The 2025–26 season is the high-water mark of this transformation. Ten global names now command not just staggering salaries but also the kind of perks once reserved for royalty—private jets, luxury estates, image rights, and ambassadorial deals tied to the kingdom’s broader ambitions. Yet these figures are more than mere pay packets: they represent shifting allegiances, career reinventions, and the growing power of football beyond Europe.This deep dive takes you through the ten highest-paid players in the Saudi Pro League today, outlining their contracts, careers, and impact on the game.Annual Package: ~$240 millionCristiano Ronaldo stands apart. At 40, when most players contemplate retirement, he remains football’s most valuable commercial asset. His deal with Al Nassr is unprecedented: a base salary of around $240 million per year, augmented by a signing bonus close to $50 million, goal-related incentives, and even equity in the club itself. Beyond the pitch, he acts as an ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s World Cup 2030 bid, ensuring his influence extends far beyond the stadium.On the field, Ronaldo is still relentless. He won the golden boot in back-to-back seasons and has carried Al Nassr to domestic glory. His performances prove that the Saudi project was not just about spectacle, it was about securing a player still capable of deciding games. Off the field, he embodies the league’s global ambition: no one garners attention like Ronaldo, and no one justifies the money spent like him.Annual Package: ~$60 millionAlgeria’s finest export has found a new home in Jeddah. Riyad Mahrez, the man who lifted both the Premier League trophy and the Champions League with Manchester City, now earns about $60 million per year at Al Ahli. His contract runs until 2027 and positions him as the leader of a club keen to challenge the PIF-owned giants.Mahrez has thrived in Saudi Arabia. In 2025, he captained Al Ahli to the AFC Champions League, making him one of the rare players to win both Europe’s and Asia’s greatest club competitions. His creativity, calmness, and leadership have elevated the team and brought continental recognition. At 34, he continues to glide across the pitch with the same elegance that once dazzled Leicester and Manchester.Annual Package: ~$58 millionKarim Benzema’s move to Al Ittihad was framed as the Ballon d’Or winner’s curtain call. Yet his three-year deal, worth close to $58 million annually in base salary and significantly more when commercial add-ons are included, turned him into one of Saudi football’s most expensive investments.The French striker has delivered. In 2025, he led Al Ittihad to a domestic double, combining veteran nous with clinical finishing. His calm leadership has steadied the squad, while his goals have silenced doubts about adapting outside Europe. Benzema’s presence underlines the Saudi League’s depth: it is not just about one superstar, but an entire galaxy.Annual Package: ~$46 millionSadio Mané’s story is one of redemption. After a turbulent spell at Bayern Munich, he arrived at Al Nassr in 2023 with questions hanging over him. Two seasons later, those questions have been emphatically answered. On roughly $46 million per year, Mané has rediscovered his Liverpool form, combining blistering pace with incisive finishing.He has also emerged as a perfect foil for Ronaldo. Together, they form one of the most potent attacking duos in Asia. Off the pitch, Mané has used his Saudi fortune to fund philanthropic projects, particularly in Senegal, reinforcing his image as one of football’s most socially conscious stars.Annual Package: ~$40 millionDefenders rarely top wage charts, but Kalidou Koulibaly is an exception. Earning around $40 million annually, the Senegalese centre-back became the highest-paid defender in world football when he joined Al Hilal.Koulibaly has justified the investment with commanding performances. A natural leader, he has anchored Hilal’s defence and guided them to domestic triumphs. His presence shows that Saudi clubs are not just chasing attackers for headlines, they are building balanced teams capable of winning titles at home and abroad.Annual Package: ~$29–37 million (with bonuses)Ivan Toney’s career arc has been unusual. Once the spearhead of Brentford, his move to Saudi Arabia followed an FA ban for betting offences. Yet Al Ahli saw his potential and offered a contract that could reach nearly $37 million annually with bonuses.Toney has repaid that faith spectacularly. In 2025 he fired Al Ahli to the Asian Champions League title, scoring in critical matches and cementing himself as one of the most dangerous strikers in the league. His move also highlighted a different Saudi strategy: targeting players in their prime, not just those nearing retirement.Annual Package: ~$29 millionFew players embody humility like N’Golo Kanté, and his $29 million annual contract at Al Ittihad has done little to change that. The World Cup winner joined in 2023 and has since become the beating heart of the club’s midfield.Kanté’s relentless energy and impeccable positioning remain intact at 34. He has helped Al Ittihad dominate domestically, lifting both league and cup titles. Off the pitch, he has invested in grassroots football, even buying a Belgian club to nurture talent. Kanté proves that even the most extravagant contracts can be worn lightly.Annual Package: ~$29 millionSerbia’s powerhouse forward forced his way to Al Hilal in 2023 and was rewarded with a contract worth about $29 million annually. His arrival was controversial in England but transformative in Saudi Arabia.Mitrović has been unstoppable: 40 goals in his debut season, another 28 in his second. His aerial dominance and ruthless finishing have made him a fan favourite. At 31, he remains in his prime, and Al Hilal’s ambitions continue to revolve around his goals.Annual Package: ~$29 millionNicknamed “SMS,” Sergej Milinković-Savić was courted by Europe’s elite before Al Hilal swooped in. His three-year deal quadrupled his Lazio wages, taking him to nearly $29 million per season.The 30-year-old Serbian midfielder has been the heartbeat of Hilal’s midfield. Goals, assists, and physical dominance have made him indispensable. His combination play with Mitrović has been lethal, and his form underlines Saudi clubs’ strategy of targeting players at their peak, not just in their twilight years.Annual Package: ~$26–28 millionCroatia’s deep-lying orchestrator rounds out the list. Marcelo Brozović’s contract at Al Nassr pays him around $26 million per season. Signed from Inter Milan, he brought Champions League pedigree and tactical sophistication to Riyadh.Brozović may not grab headlines like Ronaldo, but his ability to control tempo and balance the midfield has been pivotal. In a league often associated with attacking flair, his presence proves the importance of structure and control.These contracts are more than financial headlines—they are statements of intent. Saudi Arabia is no longer content to be a fringe player in world football. By assembling a roster of global stars, the league is challenging Europe’s monopoly on elite talent and viewership.Players in their primeUnlike early waves of football migration to less competitive leagues, this Saudi experiment has increasingly attracted players still in their peak years—Toney, Mitrović, Milinković-Savić. That alters perception: the Pro League is not a retirement home, but a stage for serious competition.Impact on EuropeThe exodus of talent has reshaped European clubs too. For teams in the Premier League or Serie A, Saudi wealth has become a release valve, providing huge transfer fees and wage relief. Yet it has also intensified debates about competitiveness, player migration, and the balance of football’s global economy.The spectacle factorFinally, the league’s visibility has soared. With Ronaldo, Benzema, and Mahrez on the pitch, Saudi Arabia has guaranteed global eyeballs. Stadiums are full, broadcast rights have expanded, and the Pro League has carved itself a place in conversations once dominated by Europe’s Big Five.