The league is entering a new financial phase, with clubs becoming more cautious about how much they spend on first-team players while still trying to maintain the star power that has transformed the competition in recent years.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema remain the Saudi Pro League’s two biggest earners, but the spending landscape around them has taken an unexpected turn. The league is entering a new financial phase, with clubs becoming more cautious about how much they spend on first-team players while still trying to maintain the star power that has transformed the competition in recent years.
The change is especially striking because the Saudi Pro League built much of its global reputation through enormous investments in internationally renowned players. Ronaldo remains the face of that transformation, while Benzema continues to rank among the competition’s highest-paid stars, yet the latest figures suggest the era of unchecked wage growth is beginning to cool.
According to estimates from salary data provider Capology, cited by Saudi newspaper Al-Eqtisadiah, the Saudi Pro League‘s fixed player wage bill has fallen by around 13% for the 2026-27 season.
Base salaries are now estimated at approximately $1.11 billion, compared with roughly $1.28 billion last season. When bonuses and other estimated incentives are included, the total wage package stands at around $1.38 billion, down from approximately $1.58 billion previously.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr lifts the Saudi Pro League Trophy
That represents a substantial reduction for a competition that has spent the past few years aggressively recruiting some of football’s biggest names. The decline reflects a combination of expensive contracts leaving the books and new financial controls designed to encourage more sustainable spending.
Ronaldo remains the league’s highest-paid star
Despite the overall reduction, Ronaldo remains comfortably at the top of the salary rankings. Capology estimates that the Al-Nassr captain earns approximately $241 million in fixed annual salary, equivalent to roughly $4.6 million per week before bonuses are taken into account.
Benzema follows in second place, with an estimated fixed salary of around $142 million per year. Sadio Mane ranks third at approximately $46 million, while Kalidou Koulibaly is next at around $40 million, with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ivan Toney both estimated at roughly $30 million.
SPL WAGE BILL DROPS 13% THIS SEASON… 🇸🇦💰Total fixed salaries down to €959.5M — total package including bonuses around €1.2B, per @aleqtisadiah pic.twitter.com/8Jhyz0NdmL— All About SPL 🔔 🇸🇦 (@Saudifutbol) August 17, 2026
These figures are particularly significant because they highlight how much the league’s financial structure still revolves around elite talent. However, the gap between the biggest contracts and the broader spending environment could become more controlled as clubs adapt to the new regulations.
New spending rules change the landscape
The reduction in wages is closely connected to stricter financial regulations introduced for the new season. Clubs are now limited to spending no more than 75% of their revenue on first-team costs, down from the previous 80% threshold.
The remaining portion is intended to support areas such as youth development, infrastructure and other long-term projects. The aim is to ensure that clubs can continue competing at a high level without allowing wage commitments to grow beyond what their revenues can reasonably support.
Karim Benzema of Al Hilal during the AFC Champions League Elite.
The Saudi Pro League’s aggressive recruitment strategy succeeded in raising its profile around the world. Ronaldo’s arrival at Al-Nassr in 2023 helped trigger a wave of major transfers, with other clubs subsequently attracting players such as Benzema, Mane and Neymar.