- Spanish newspaper AS reveals the highest paid female footballers in the world
- Matildas and Chelsea star Sam Kerr features in top three
- A Barcelona star has taken over the top spot with a salary of around 1 million euros per season
The highest-paid female footballer has been revealed after a summer of transfers and contract renewals saw the rankings shake up.
Spanish exit AS has published the updated ranking, which takes into account only the salaries paid to players by their clubs and excludes sponsorship deals plus payments to the national team.
Unsurprisingly, Chelsea and Matildas superstar Sam Kerr finds herself vying for the top spot after the 30-year-old signed a lucrative new contract with the English club during the off-season.
But Kerr is not ranked number one, as the Australian is outclassed by a Barcelona star at the peak of his powers.
Aitana Bonmati (left) is the highest paid female footballer, while her Barcelona teammate Alexia Putellas (right) is the second highest paid star
Matildas and Chelsea star Sam Kerr is ranked third in the rankings, according to AS
Keira Walsh is the only Lioness to make it into the top 10 after signing for Barcelona
That’s right, reigning Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati is the highest-paid female footballer on the planet after signing a new contract with the Spanish giants on Monday.
According to AS, the 26-year-old will earn around €1m per season and Barcelona are keen to fend off interest from Chelsea after the Blues were reportedly considering activating his €3m release clause.
In addition to her salary as a main player, Bonmati also has the backing of Adidas, Nissan and Alpro. Her contract with Barcelona expires in 2028.
Just below Bonmati is her club and national teammate Alexia Putellas. The 30-year-old renewed her contract with Barcelona last May and earns around 700,000 euros a year, just for having won the Ballon d’Or twice.
Widely regarded as one of the most recognisable faces in women’s football, Putellas has struggled to regain the form that saw her crowned the world’s number one player due to a long-term injury, but remains central to Barca’s plans.
Matildas captain Kerr is content with third place in the rankings, having extended her contract at Stamford Bridge for a whopping €538,000 per season.
Norwegian football legend Ada Hegerberg is also among the highest-paid stars
It has been a frustrating 12 months for Kerr, who was unable to lead the Matildas to the World Cup final due to a knee injury that kept her sidelined for some time, but Chelsea have shown their loyalty to Kerr by offering her improved terms in the summer.
Only one Lioness features in AS’s top 10 players: Keira Walsh, who reportedly earns €457,000 a year after her record-breaking transfer from Manchester City to Barcelona in the summer.
Ada Hegerberg (€398,000), Marta (€386,000), Wendie Renard (€357,000), Christine Sinclair (€345,000) and Trinity Rodman (€256,000) complete the rest of the places.
Of course, female players’ salaries pale in comparison to their male counterparts: Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly earns £3.4m a week at Saudi club Al Nassr.
