Real Madrid has as many as three superstars worth up to 180 million this season, with English star Bellingham and French captain Mbappe both valued at 180 million euros (according to Transfermarkt). Vinicius Jr., who recently won the FIFA World Footballer of the Year award, is even more valuable at 200 million euros. It is this 2024 FIFA World Footballer of the Year award that will change the annual salary of some stars in the Galaxy Battleship. Mbappe joined the team for free from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, earning a hefty signing fee and becoming the highest-paid player in the team with an annual salary of 15 million euros. However, this situation is set to change soon.
According to recent reports from Spanish media outlet AS, Brazilian star Vinicius Jr. will surpass Mbappe to become the highest-paid player in the team. Vinicius last renewed his contract with Real Madrid in October 2023, but the renewal was actually successful as early as 2022, with the announcement being delayed by a year. The two parties signed a five-year contract with a total post-tax salary of 75 million euros, which translates to an annual salary of 15 million euros. This originally put him on par with newly joined Mbappe as the top earner in the team. However, during negotiations for the contract renewal, Vinicius' agent, Pena, included clauses for bonuses if he were to win the Ballon d'Or or the FIFA World Footballer of the Year (5 million euros per year). With Vinicius winning the 2024 FIFA World Footballer of the Year, this clause was activated, resulting in his annual salary rising to 20 million euros, making him the sole highest earner in the team.
Vinicius still has over two years left on his contract with Real Madrid (for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons), with an annual salary of 20 million euros for these two seasons. This naturally surpasses Mbappe's annual salary of 15 million euros, with Bellingham ranking third with an annual salary of 9 million euros. Here comes the question: these three players are among the highest-valued in today's football world, all possessing top-level abilities. However, their salaries differ significantly, with Vinicius earning more than twice as much as Bellingham plus an additional 2 million euros. This raises the issue of how much Bellingham should be paid in his next contract. How much more should Mbappe, Rodrigo, Valverde, and Camavinga receive? This is undoubtedly a headache for President Florentino.
