Not Like Us! Al-Ittihad fans hold up incredible Kendrick Lamar-inspired tifo as they demolish Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal

Al-Ittihad fans exhibited creativity with a Kendrick Lamar-inspired tifo during the club's 4-1 win over Al-Hilal.

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Fans showed off Kendrick Lamar-inspired tifoTifo read 'Not like us'Al-Ittihad thrashed Al-Hilal 4-1Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Marcos Leandro handed reigning champions Al-Hilal the lead in the 23rd minute but Al-Ittihad came back strongly in the match and eventually secured a thumping 4-1 win. Hassan Kadesh scored the equaliser for Laurent Blanc's side before former Tottenham Hotspur forward Steven Bergwijn scored a brace. Karim Benzema then netted the fourth goal for his side in the 86th minute to seal a memorable win.

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Right before kick-off at King Abdullah Sports City, the home fans held up an incredible Kendrick Lamar-inspired tifo with the words 'Not Like Us' written. It was a tribute to the famous American rapper, whose Drake diss track 'Not Like Us' has surged in popularity since the Super Bowl and has also earned the number one slot in the UK singles chart.

DID YOU KNOW?

With the crucial win on Saturday, Al-Ittihad are now the favourites to reclaim the Saudi Pro League title as they increased their lead over second-placed Al-Hilal to seven points. It now looks unlikely that Cristiano Ronaldo Al-Nassr will win the league title in the 2024-25 campaign as the gap with Benzema's side increased to 11 points.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR AL-ITTIHAD?

Benzema and Co will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Al-Khaleej in a Saudi Pro League clash.

Ebadot stings New Zealand with late-evening strikes, gives Bangladesh a whiff of something special

Hosts, with Taylor and Ravindra in the middle, are just 17 ahead with five second-innings wickets in hand

Mohammad Isam04-Jan-2022Stumps Ebadot Hossain landed big blows on the New Zealand batting on the fourth evening of the first Test in Mount Maunganui, picking up three wickets in the space of nine deliveries to reduce them from a stable 136 for 2 to 136 for 5. New Zealand went to stumps on 147 for 5, just ahead by 17 runs going into the final day with Ross Taylor and Rachin Ravindra in the middle.New Zealand may have felt that the third-wicket partnership between Will Young and Taylor would take them to safety after they lost Tom Latham early and Devon Conway not long after.But the script changed in the 54th over. Ebadot first got one to nip back at Young, who missed with the pull and the ball hit timber. Young threw back his head, swung his bat over the stumps and kicked the ground in disgust. This was the breakthrough Bangladesh had been waiting for. Ebadot struck Henry Nicholls’ front pad next ball, but the lbw appeal was turned down. Next ball, though, he got the ball to burst through Nicholls’ defence.Related

Bangladesh youngsters keep calm and spread the joy

Stats – A rare overseas high for Bangladesh's batters

Then, in Ebadot’s next over, Tom Blundell missed the incoming delivery and was given out lbw. The review didn’t work for the New Zealand wicketkeeper as it was all three reds. Ebadot’s spell read 7-2-15-3, which followed a nine-over burst earlier in the day during which he had sent back Devon Conway, the first-innings centurion.With Ebadot changing the mood of the game, Bangladesh were left to rue some of their mistakes earlier in the day. They had wasted all three of their reviews by 36.5 overs and one of them was a downright howler, Taskin Ahmed hoping for an lbw decision when Taylor had middled the ball.Even outside the bad reviews, New Zealand rode their luck. Especially Taylor, who had an easy chance at deep midwicket put down by Shadman Islam and a run-out chance missed. The catch was put down with Taylor on 17, when he slog swept Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Shadman pointed to the sun as explanation, but his sunglass sat on top of his cap.Young reached his second fifty in the match at the other end, and the pair started to get a few more boundaries, but Bangladesh then got another golden opportunity to break through. Taylor was stranded in the middle of the pitch on that occasion, and Shadman’s throw from gully should have caught him well short at the non-striker’s end, except that Ebadot intercepted it and fluffed the chance.Bangladesh had made a good start with the ball when they took two wickets in the second session. Taskin removed captain Tom Latham when his rising delivery took the left-hander’s inside edge on to the stumps.Mehidy Hasan Miraz added useful runs in the morning•AFP / Getty ImagesConway, too, fell cheaply when his edge on to the pads flew to Shadman at gully. Ebadot had appealed for lbw at first, but the review confirmed the catch.It could have been three for the session, but Litton Das spilt Young’s attempted cut off Mehidy Hasan Miraz when he was on 31.Bangladesh had earlier finished on 458 – over 176.2 overs, their second longest Test innings. That was also the most number of overs bowled by New Zealand in 12 years.The visiting side was already in a good position, and a 75-run seventh-wicket stand between Mehidy and Yasir Ali pushed them further forward. Mehidy struck eight fours in his 47. He did survive two lbw appeals early, with reviews going in his favour on both occasions, showing that he had inside-edged them both.Tim Southee finally removed Mehidy, breaking a wicket drought of 468 balls since the Kanpur Test in November. Kyle Jamieson also got his first wicket in the match when he had Yasir caught down the leg side for 26. Trent Boult promptly took the last wicket of the innings – his fourth – clean bowling Shoriful Islam.

"Big step" – Arteta shares "positive news" out of Arsenal after Edu blow

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shared some much-needed “positive news” out of London Colney, following a regrettable last few days which saw the north Londoners lose influential director Edu Gaspar and fall behind in the Premier League title race.

Arsenal prepare for first game since Edu announcement

Arteta’s side travel to the San Siro this evening for a pivotal Champions League clash against Serie A champions Inter Milan, and a win would seriously lift the spirits of supporters right now.

Sky Sports: Arsenal set sights on signing "exciting" player after Edu exit

He’s got a growing reputation.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 6, 2024

A damning 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park handed Arsenal their second loss of the campaign and Eddie Howe’s first win since mid-September – a result which saw Liverpool gain a seven-point advantage over them at the top of the pile.

Even though it is still very early doors, this gap will still be difficult for Arteta’s side to overcome, especially considering Liverpool look near-unbeatable under new manager Arne Slot.

Chelsea (away)

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

Fulham (away)

December 8

Arsenal were dealt more bad news on Monday when journalist Sami Mokbel revealed that Edu was set to leave his post as sporting director. The Brazilian brings an end to his five-year stay at the Emirates after playing a key role in Arsenal’s development, having worked in tandem with Arteta to transform the club back into an elite English side.

Edu oversaw the signings of key men like Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes to name a few, whilst also helping Arsenal in the managerial recruitment process to appoint Arteta as manager.

It is believed Edu is poised to link up with Greek tycoon Evangelos Marinakis, where he could take on a chief executive role in the day-to-day running of clubs under his ownership, like Nottingham Forest, Olympiacos and Rio Ave in Portugal.

There are suggestions that Arsenal chief Jason Ayto is a real candidate to replace Edu, with The Mirror journalist John Cross calling him an “obvious choice” for the role. Whoever the Kroenkes decide upon, it needs to be the right decision, and could prove pivotal to Arsenal’s long-term future.

Arteta shares "positive news" out of Arsenal ahead of Inter Milan

In the wake of a fair bit of bad news recently, Arteta has now shared a “positive” Arsenal update on Odegaard’s fitness.

The Norway star has been sidelined with ankle ligament damage since September, but he’s now on the verge of a return and back in full training with the squad, which will come as much-needed relief for Arsenal who are now set to welcome their captain back to the field very soon.

“The positive news is it’s great to have Martin back,” said Arteta in his pre-match press conference.

“He’s trained with us for the first time, a full session today. He felt good, it’s a bit earlier than we expected, but he wanted to be with the team, so we’ll decide tomorrow whether we use him, but at least it’s a big step that he’s travelled with us and is part of the team.”

The 25-year-old’s presence will be key in the title race and Europe, with Arsenal seriously missing Odegaard’s creativity in his absence. A return against Inter would be a spectacular sight, but if not, his Premier League return surely isn’t too far away now.

WATCH: Philadelphia Union's Cavan Sullivan makes first appearance of 2025 MLS season in win against FC Cincinnati

With Philadelphia stunning FCC, the 15-year-old made his first 2025 senior appearance late in the Union's win

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Union stun FCC in routSullivan gets 10 minutes of actionMan City reported to have an agreement to purchase teenGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Cavan Sullivan, one of the most highly-touted prospects in American soccer history, got his 2025 season underway, coming on as a late substitute in the Philadelphia Union's stunning 4-1 rout over MLS contenders FC Cincinnati.

Sullivan came on in the 81st minute and was on the pitch as his team padded its lead over the visitors, with record signing Bruno Damiani getting his first league goal for the side in stoppage time.

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After spending much of last season with the Union's development team, Union II, Sullivan spent preseason with the first team and was on the Union's bench in their season-opening win over Orlando.

All of that points to a larger role for the 15-year-old, who made three league appearances last season.

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The Union will hope to continue their surprising start to the season when they travel to face the New England Revolution.

Their own Palmer: Everton have struck gold with a special £20m signing

Everton have only lost one of their past eight Premier League matches, but this is a facade that covers up the deep-fissured issues at Goodison Park.

Bereft of colour and attacking intent under Sean Dyche, whose days may well be numbered, Everton need to spark some improvements – and fast.

While the Toffees sit 15th in the Premier League, they are only two points ahead of Ipswich Town in the drop zone and have scored just ten times across 12 matches – with bottom-placed Southampton the only side with fewer goals (9).

01/12/24

Man United

Old Trafford

04/12/243

Wolves

Molineux

07/12/24

Liverpool

Goodison Park

14/12/24

Arsenal

Emirates Stadium

22/12/24

Chelsea

Goodison Park

26/12/24

Man City

Etihad Stadium

29/12/24

Nott’m Forest

Goodison Park

A tough December lies ahead. Dominic Calvert-Lewin isn’t scoring and creativity is negligible. If only the Merseysiders could call upon some of the fine playmaking architects from over the years.

Everton's finest number tens

Tim Cahill deserves the first mention. The Australian’s Premier League career stretched across 226 games and 56 brilliant goals, with Phil Neville once praising him as a truly “special” part of the Goodison make-up.

The very embodiment of what it takes to be an Evertonian, Cahill’s legacy remains intact over a decade beyond his departure, with his performances and dedication to the cause something that can be used by up-and-comers to try and emulate even to this day.

Not long after Cahill signed for the New York Red Bulls (in 2012), Ross Barkley exploded into action, rising from the youth ranks to establish himself as the latest homegrown hero at the club, becoming a mainstay before completing a contentious £15m transfer to Chelsea in January 2018.

The England international, now 30, hit 29 top-flight goal contributions across his final two terms with his boyhood club, but could have been so much more on Merseyside.

Now, the rise of another creative marvel is occurring at Goodison…

Everton's very own Cole Palmer

Dyche has fashioned principal winger Dwight McNeil into a central attacking midfielder to great effect. There might be concerns over the former Burnley star’s impact on the midfield fluency, but his return rate bespeaks his quality.

He could be the difference-maker. After all, McNeil’s performances have led to comparisons with none other than Cole Palmer.

McNeil has been the spear driving Everton forward throughout the opening months of the 2024/25 campaign, from an attacking standpoint at least.

Three goals and three assists apiece in the Premier League after 11 matches have showcased a potency that hasn’t always been on show at Everton. After all, last year’s return produced three goals and assists across 35 matches.

Dwight McNeil for Everton

But now, his clinical edge and creativity have seen him produce results that have led statistical site FBref to rank him alongside Palmer in the Premier League this season.

The Chelsea sensation is of course enjoying superior success, but it’s promising for Dyche’s cause that McNeil’s form is from the same vein as the Blues man.

Goals scored

0.28

0.60

Assists

0.28

0.43

Shot-creating actions

4.88

5.08

Passes attempted

39.89

41.43

Progressive passes

4.79

6.46

Progressive carries

2.40

3.36

Crosses

7.46

4.74

Ball recoveries

4.88

3.62

While Palmer ranks higher across the lion’s share of the pairs’ metrics in the top flight this term, it’s intriguing to see how close McNeil runs to the pre-eminent number ten’s numbers.

More squarely, he’s been an excellent creative outlet despite operating in a team more insular and restricted in its attacking play. It bodes well, looking forward and assessing the exciting eventualities for Everton in a potential Friedkin Group-led world.

Cole Palmer for Chelsea

Toward the end of October, Squawka’s player comparison matrix revealed that Palmer was the only attacking midfielder in the Premier League outperforming McNeil, who has plateaued since but remains a keen-edged threat for Dyche’s side.

Of course, the Three Lions superstar is quite patently outstripping his countryman, but that’s not to the discredit of McNeil’s campaign, for he is playing admirably within the confines of Dyche’s pragmatic Toffees system.

Dwight McNeil

Who knows what the future might hold for Everton, but it could be a brand new world, one that might herald a freer and more expansive style of football that could see McNeil rise closer to the ceiling of his potential.

It could reap a lucrative reward. Palmer, for example, is understood to have a market value of £118m presently, according to CIES Football Observatory’s player valuation model, which makes an exciting comment on McNeil’s future.

Everton signed Burnley’s chief creator in 2022 for a £20m transfer fee, following their relegation from the Premier League under the wing of… Dyche.

The incremental progress on display has been exciting to see, for his playmaking prowess has led him to create eight big chances in the Premier League already this term, as per Sofascore, averaging 2.7 key passes per fixture too.

Of course, it’s not levelled alongside Palmer’s, but he has the quality to become a true Premier League sensation, and his stylistic approach mirrors that of the Chelsea man.

Where Everton will go this season is anyone’s guess at this stage. However, McNeil’s success in a central attacking midfield role might prove to make the difference in the fight to escape the relegation battle and perhaps mount a concerted effort toward the upper level of the Premier League.

Imagine him & Ndiaye: Everton can land 'one of the best CF's in the world'

Everton surely need to ditch Calvert-Lewin and replace him with “one of the best CFs in the world”

1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 24, 2024

James Neesham signs for Northamptonshire for Blast campaign

New Zealand allrounder expected to feature in full campaign in 2022 season

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2022James Neesham, the New Zealand allrounder, has agreed to join Northamptonshire for their T20 Blast campaign.Neesham, whose heroics in the 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s were instrumental in that contest’s thrilling finish, gained a measure of revenge over England in the T20 World Cup in the UAE in November, where his 27 from 11 balls helped to eliminate Eoin Morgan’s men in the semi-final. However, New Zealand went on to lose the final against Australia.In 181 T20 fixtures – 38 of which have come for his country – Neesham has made 2,360 runs at a strike-rate of 136.81, and taken 158 wickets. He has previously featured for Derbyshire, Essex and Kent in county cricket, and last season turned out for Welsh Fire in the inaugural season of the Hundred.”I’m excited to get going with Northamptonshire in 2022,” Neesham said. “The club has a fantastic history in the Blast and I hope that we can recreate those successes from 2013 and 2016.”Josh Cobb, Northamptonshire’s captain, played alongside Neesham last season, and is excited about the prospect of linking up with him again.”Having spent time with him at the Welsh Fire in The Hundred last year I know what he can bring to us.” Cobb said.”He’s a three-dimensional cricketer with genuine power and a high strike rate in the middle order, but it was his character that stood out to me. He’s someone who wants to win and is very selfless, he’s a real team-first kind of player.”I’m looking forward to having him here as a leader, to pass on his experience and help drive us to be better.”Assuming New Zealand’s international schedule remains clear, Neesham should be available for the duration of the Blast campaign in May, June and July – with the final at Edgbaston this year following closely on from the group stages to ensure that overseas players can take part. He will also be on hand for County Championship action in June.”The opportunity to possibly play some first-class cricket for the county in Division One is also an exciting challenge.” Neesham said. “I look forward to linking up with everyone at Wantage Road soon.”

India move past England to No. 1 spot in ICC T20I rankings

Australia remain in sixth place despite their 4-1 win over Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2022India’s 3-0 series sweep over West Indies at home over the past week has taken Rohit Sharma’s side to No. 1 on the ICC T20I team rankings. India went past England to the top spot, with Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa rounding off the top five.India’s lead at the top, though, is a slender one. Across the 39-game period that is under consideration in the current ranking cycle, India and England are tied at 269 rating points. India are fractionally ahead by virtue of having more points (10,484 to England’s 10,474).The series ended at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens – the venue for all three games – on Sunday, when India successfully defended a 180-plus total for the second game in a row. They had chased down 158 in the first T20I after a stellar debut for Ravi Bishnoi with the ball, while impressive efforts with the bat from Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav did the job in the second and third games. Harshal Patel was another newcomer to international cricket who impressed, finishing as India’s top wicket-taker with five strikes and, crucially, holding his nerve against an onslaught from Rovman Powell in the second game to seal victory for India.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

Australia remained in sixth place after their 4-1 series win over Sri Lanka (tied ninth with Bangladesh) at home, while West Indies stayed at No. 7 despite the shutout against India, while Afghanistan were at eighth place.India have the chance to extend their lead over England during the three-game T20I series against Sri Lanka later this month at home. England’s next T20I assignment is against India in the summer.

Ange must finally sell £20m Spurs flop who Conte didn’t want to sign

Antonio Conte was manager at Tottenham Hotspur for around 16 months, but it did not quite go how people may have hoped. The Lilywhites first appointed the experienced Italian coach in November 2021, but he left in March of 2023 by mutual consent.

He had a respectable record as manager of the club, despite never really challenging for any trophies. He coached Spurs for 76 games, winning 41 times and losing 23.

In the domestic cups, he failed to get the North Londoners to any finals, reaching the Carabao Cup semi-final in his first season and the FA Cup fifth round in both campaigns.

antonio-conte-transfer-gossip-tottenham-hotspur-romelu-lukaku-inter-milan-postecoglou

The second season was particularly disappointing, given the money Conte had to spend in the summer of 2022.

Spurs’ 2022 summer transfer window

The Lilywhites’ summer transfer window in 2022 was certainly a season in which they were well-backed. They made eight signings, although one of those was a loan deal which saw Clement Lenglet join the club from Barcelona. Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster also joined on free transfers.

There were five other major signings made that summer, although one of those, Destiny Udogie, spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Udinese, from where he joined Spurs. Another player also moved from Serie A. Cristian Romero joined the Lilywhites on a permanent deal for £42.5m, after joining the club on loan the previous season.

There were also two deals made for players within the Premier League. One of those saw Everton striker Richarlison make the move from Merseyside to North London.

He cost the club £60m, although he has struggled to make a real impact so far. He did score twice against the Toffees in February 2024 in a 2-2 draw.

Yves Bissouma also joined Spurs in 2022, signing from Brighton and Hove Albion for a fee in the region of £25m up front and a further £10m in add-ons. He is still an important player in Ange Postecoglou’s side today.

The eighth signing made under Conte that summer has not really worked out for either party, although he does still play for the club. That player is Djed Spence.

Djed Spence’s Spurs career

After an incredibly successful 2021/22 campaign on loan with Nottingham Forest from Middlesbrough, Spurs took a punt on Spence ahead of Conte’s first full season in charge. He cost £12.5m up front and a further £7.5m in add-ons from Boro.

The right-back was fantastic in Forest’s promotion success in 2021/22. He was an influential member of Steve Cooper’s squad, playing 39 times in the Championship, scoring twice and grabbing five assists.

He also played every minute in the play-offs as Forest beat Sheffield United in the semi-final and Huddersfield in the final.

Spence’s Lilywhites career has been incredibly tough so far. He has played just 11 games for the club across two seasons, having gone on loan in the 2023/24 campaign to Leeds United for the first half of the season and Italian outfit Genoa for the second half.

Season

Competition

Games

Minutes

2022/23

Premier League

4

5

2022/23

Carabao Cup

1

25

2022/23

FA Cup

1

13

2024/25

Premier League

4

64

2024/25

Carabao Cup

1

45

Just weeks after the former England under-21 international made the move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Conte revealed it was not a signing he wanted to make. The Italian manager said the “club decided to buy him”, but explained that he hoped he would “become a good, important player” for the club. Sadly, it has not quite worked out like that for the wing-back.

It remains to be seen where Spence’s future lies. Postecoglou may well decide to keep the wing-back at the club, but at this stage it does not seem like he is in his plans.

Tottenham player Djed Spence

Once touted as “Premier League quality” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, he will surely be desperate to get his career back on track, be it at Spurs or a different club.

He's outscoring Son & Kulu: Spurs must rue losing their own Saka for £0

The incredible talent is now tearing it up for one of Spurs’ biggest rivals.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 30, 2024

Karim Benzema salary: How much does Al Ittihad star earn per week and annually in Saudi Pro League?

How much does the former Real Madrid striker earn playing in the Saudi Pro League?

Karim Benzema is yet another European legend who made a move to the Saudi Pro League. After spending fourteen seasons with Real Madrid, Benzema called time on his Los Blancos career, moving to Al Ittihad in the summer of 2023.

The former Ballon d'Or winner is an elite No.9, having won numerous titles in the Spanish capital, becoming Madrid's main man after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018.

Now that both former Madrid stars play their football in Saudi Arabia, the popularity of the league has increased tenfold in recent times. It doesn't come as a surprise to know that the former Portugal star is the highest-paid player in the league currently, but how does Benzema fare in the wage bill? Let's find out!

GOAL delved into the numbers from Capology and found out!

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Karim Benzema's salary in numbers

Karim Benzema currently stands as the highest-paid player at Al Ittihad with an insane salary of £1,612,468 ($2,083,257) on a weekly basis. His annual salary scales up to £83 million ($108 m).

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Karim Benzema

French

£1,612,468

$2,083,257

£83,848,311

$108,329,340

AdvertisementAFPTop earners at Al Ittihad

As we already saw, Benzema earns an incredible salary playing for Al Ittihad, making him the top earner at the club.

Following him is his compatriot N'Golo Kante. Despite being the second-top earner, Kante earns only a fraction compared to that of the former Madrid striker.

Meanwhile Moussa Diaby makes an appearance at number three, followed by the likes of Fabinho and Steven Bergwijn at fourth and fifth spot respectively.

Top 5 highest paid players at Al Ittihad

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Karim Benzema

French

£1,612,468

$2,083,257

£83,848,311

$108,329,340

N'Golo Kante

French

£403,117

$520,814

£20,962,078

$27,082,355

Moussa Diaby

French

£246,869

$318,947

£12,837,176

$16,585,222

Fabinho

Brazilian

£225,745

$291,656

£11,738,764

$15,166,108

Steven Bergwijn

Dutch

£148,025

$191,243

£7,697,275

$9,944,633

Top earners in Saudi Pro League

It doesn't really come as a surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo leads the chart as the league's top earner. Following the superstar is his former Madrid strike partner Benzema, while former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez takes the third spot.

Finally, rounding off the top five are Senegalese internationals Sadio Mané and Kalidou Koulibaly, occupying the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

Top 5 highest paid players in the Saudi Pro League

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,224,935

$4,166,513

£167,696,622

$216,658,460

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,612,468

$2,083,57

£83,848,311

$108,329,340

Riyadh Mahrez

Al Ahli

£841,708

$1,087,460

£43,768,818

$56,547,915

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£644,987

$833,303

£433,539,324

$43,331,736

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£559,526

$722,890

£25,095,364

$37,590,281

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Al-NassrHighest paid players in the world

The top earners in Saudi definitely earn insane sums of money in the league, but how do they fare in the highest-paid players across the world?

Well, it turns out that the top five of the Saudi Pro League are also the top earners across the footballing world, even leaving behind some of the best and oldest clubs from Europe. This cements the financial power of the Saudi League and the potential to become a top league in upcoming years.

Top 5 highest paid players in the world

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portuguese

£3,224,935

$4,166,513

£167,696,622

$216,658,680

Karim Benzema

French

£1,612,468

$2,083,257

£83,848,311

$108,329,340

Riyadh Mahrez

Algerian

£841,708

$1,087,460

43,768,818

$56,547,915

Sadio Mane

Senegalese

£644,987

$833,303

£33,539,324

$43,331,736

Kalidou Koulibaly

Senegalese

£559,526

$722,890

£29,095,364

$37,590,281

Arda Guler salary: How much does Real Madrid star earn per week and annually in LaLiga?

Everything you need to know about Turkish youngster Arda Guler's salary playing for Real Madrid

After spending two seasons at Fenerbahce, Turkish sensation Arda Guler made his move to Real Madrid, a transfer that garnered significant attention as the then 18-year-old snubbed arch-rivals Barcelona to sign for Los Blancos.

However, things haven't quite worked out for him at the club so far, as he has had very limited opportunities to showcase himself and it has been tough for the Turkish youngster to secure a place in the starting XI.

Güler is also low on Real Madrid’s wage bill, mainly due to his young age. But exactly how much does he earn playing for the Whites?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

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Arda Guler's wages at Real Madrid in numbers

Under his current contract at Real Madrid, Arda Guler makes £84,330 ($108,982) on a weekly basis, while his annual salary reaches around £4.3 million ($5.6m).

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Arda Guler

Turkish

  £84,330

$108,982

£4,385,178

$5,667,053

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTop earners at Real Madrid

Compared to the top earners at Real Madrid, Guler's salary numbers are relatively modest.

The highest earner at Real Madrid is former PSG star Kylian Mbappe, followed by David Alaba, who is a somewhat surprising entrant in second place.

Following the Austrian on the list are Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Jr., who earn identical wages, while Fede Valverde rounds off the list at number five.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Kylian Mbappe

French

£498,248

$629,355

£25,908,917

$32,726,459

David Alaba

Austrian

£356,659

455,608

£18,546,242 

$ 23,691,627

Jude Bellingham

English

£330,187

$ 421,792

£17,169,698

$ 21,933,182

Vinicius Jr.

Brazilian

£330,187

$ 421,792

£17,169,698

$ 21,933,182

Fede Valverde

Uruguayan

£264,244

$337,555

£ 13,740,704 

$17,552,863

Top earners in La Liga

When it comes to the top five earners in the league, FC Barcelona's veteran striker Robert Lewandowski tops the list.

Meanwhile, three Real Madrid players in Mbappe, Alaba, and Bellingham also make the top five.

The only Atlético Madrid player to make the cut is Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual  wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Robert Lewandowski

Polish

£528,330

$ 674,908

£27,473,166

$35,095,197

Kylian Mbappe

French

£498,248

$629,355

£25,908,917

$32,726,459

David Alaba

Austrian

£356,659

£455,608

£18,546,242

$23,691,627

Jan Oblak

Slovenian

£330,187

$421,792

£17,169,698

$21,933,182

Jude Bellingham

English

£330,187

$421,792

£17,169,698

$21,933,182

Getty ImagesHighest paid players in the world

Although it may seem like players in La Liga earn incredible wages, their salaries don't even come close when compared to the top earners worldwide.

Currently, all the players in the top five highest earners globally play in the Saudi Pro League.

Ranking first and second on the list are former Real Madrid attackers Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, respectively, while Riyad Mahrez takes the third spot. Finally, rounding off the top five are Senegalese internationals Sadio Mané and Kalidou Koulibaly

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,224,935

$4,166,513

£167,696,622

$215,658,680

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,612,468

$2,083,257

£83,848,311

$108,329,340

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£841,708

$1,087,460

£43,768,818

$56,547,915

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£644,987

$833,033

£33,539,324

$43,331,736

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£559,526

$722,890

£29,095,364

$37,590,281

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