Clubs from La Liga are enjoying yet another productive European campaign so far in 2024/25.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are through to the last 16 of the Champions League, while Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad have progressed to the same stage in the Europa League.

Elsewhere, Real Betis are through to the last 16 in the Conference League, with Girona being the only Spanish club not to qualify for the knockout stages across the three main European competitions.

Since 2000, a club from Spain has featured in either a Champions League or UEFA Cup/Europa League final 24 times. Real Madrid and Barcelona have won 12 Champions League crowns between them during that time, while Valencia, Sevilla (seven times), Villarreal and Atlético Madrid have all claimed Europe’s secondary club competition.

As such, La Liga is one of the biggest and best leagues in the world, attracting some of the best talent on offer.

We at Football FancCast take a look at the highest-paid players in the top flight this season, and it is no surprise to see that two clubs dominate the rankings…

11

Eder Militao (Real Madrid)

£232,000 per week

Eder Militao ranks 11th on this list, earning an eye-watering £232,000 per week at Real Madrid. The centre-back joined the club ahead of the 2019/20 season and has since gone on to make nearly 200 competitive appearances.

Not only has he won three La Liga titles, but the Brazilian has played a key role during Madrid’s two Champions League triumphs since his arrival.

However, the 27-year-old’s season ended prematurely due to suffering a cruciate ligament injury.

10

Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid)

£232,000 per week

Antonio Rüdiger made the move from Chelsea to Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2022, and it has turned out to be a wonderful signing.

The Germany defender has been a regular under Carlo Ancelotti since joining, making 137 appearances, helping the club win the Champions League last term. He currently earns the same amount as Militao, raking in £232,000 per week.

9

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)

£239,000 per week

The Real Madrid goalkeeper may be approaching the latter years of his career, but Thibaut Courtois is still one of the most important players at the club.

Across 35 games this season, he has conceded 38 goals and kept 11 clean sheets for the club, while earning £239,000 per week.

He missed the majority of the 2023/24 season due to injury, but he has recovered incredibly well.

8

Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)

£265,000 per week

Ancelotti may be able to count on the likes of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé to change games in an instant, but Federico Valverde may just be one of the club’s most important players.

In La Liga, the Uruguayan has registered eight goal contributions, created five big chances, won 66% of his total duels and averaged 1.3 tackles per match.

Keeping him fit will be key between now and the end of the season. He currently earns £265,000 per week at the club.

7

Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)

£302,000 per week

Frenkie de Jong joined Barcelona back in 2019 after shining for Ajax, coming so close to leading them to the Champions League final that year.

Since then, the Dutchman has played nearly 250 games for the Catalan side, following in the footsteps of previous Dutch stars to perform for Barcelona.

One league title and a Spanish Cup are a relatively poor return for the midfielder, who earns £302,000 per week in Spain.

6

Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid)

£332,000 per week

Jan Oblak is the only player on this list who doesn’t play for Real or Barcelona, but his performances over the previous few years certainly go a long way to justify his £332,000-per-week wage.

220 clean sheets across 481 games for Atlético is an incredible record, while he has conceded 400 goals in that time, which works out as 0.83 goals per game.

5

Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)

£332,000 per week

Vini Jr has improved year on year since his move to Madrid back in 2018. He scored in the Champions League final last term, the second time he has done so, registering 35 goal contributions across the season.

This was two more than the previous campaign, while the Brazilian has scored 18 goals and grabbed 11 assists in 2024/25. He earns £332,000 per week.

4

Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

£332,000 per week

Jude Bellingham is now one of the finest players in the world following his move from Borussia Dortmund in 2023.

He helped the club win La Liga and the Champions League last term, registering 36 goal contributions in the process. The Englishman earns £332,000 per week at the club, and this could rise in the coming years.

3

David Alaba (Real Madrid)

£358,000 per week

David Alaba left Bayern Munich to join Madrid on a free transfer in 2021, going on to make over 100 appearances, although injuries have hampered his progress.

However, he has added another two Champions League titles to his collection, but so far this term, Alaba has featured only nine times in all competitions.

He is currently the third-highest-paid player in the league, earning £358,000 per week.

2

Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)

£497,000 per week

Kylian Mbappe’s move to Madrid last summer was years in the making. Having left PSG at the end of his contract, it wasn’t long before he was announced as a Madrid player.

Despite a slow start, the Frenchman is finally hitting top gear. Across all competitions this season, he has scored 28 goals and chipped in with four assists.

His wage at the club currently stands at £497,000 per week.

1

Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)

£531,000 per week

No surprise as to who tops the list, as Robert Lewandowski’s £531,000-per-week wage makes him not only the highest-paid player in La Liga, but also one of the most valuable in Europe.

Since joining the Catalan side from Bayern Munich, the Polish striker has scored 93 goals in just 134 matches.

Can he win his second Champions League title this season? Only time will tell.