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Football has always been considered the sport par excellence with regards to its worldwide following of fans. But is this also the case when we talk about economic availability and salaries? It seems so and a Marca report confirms thisthe sports information newspaper with the largest circulation in Spain, which compares some of the most important realities of various sports worldwide. Real Madrid and Barcelonathe newspaper says, find themselves face to face with “mega franchises” or state clubs that often have almost infinite capital. In other sports, for example in NBA or in the NFL we often read about super contracts, but they are more about individual signatures than collective ones, where football still reigns supreme.
INSIGHTS
The research focused on four variables: total salaries, average salary, player who earns the most and player who earns the least. Real Madrid has Vallejo the lowest paid player with 1.8 million euros, the highest paid is obviously Mbappè with 31 million. The average salary is 12.5 million euros, while the total salary amount is 272 million. The Barcelona pays almost 33 million euros to Robert Lewandowski, but his total wages paid drops to 192 million. The Manchester City reaches 255 million in total with De Bruyne the highest paid at 25 million, theArsenal reaches 233 million in total.
In the research no Italian is mentioned.
NBA INCREASINGLY RICH, THE OTHER LEAGUES PAY WELL
The NBA shows its muscles, having increased its wages for a few years despite the fact that in the US league there is a salary cap that is (on paper) rather stringent. For example, i Los Angeles Lakers have a total of 200 million dollars and the Boston Celtics 203, but here the largest share is held by two players above all, LeBron James e Jaylen Brown, with 48 and 49 million dollars respectively. The other players share significantly lower salaries, even if the squads are much smaller than those of football teams. Singular as in the Lakers the highest paid player and the lowest paid player are the Jamesfather and son, with Bronny who as a rookie gets “just” 1.2 million dollars.
The NFLthe American football league, pays well, very well, but every franchise has to deal with the handicap of having very long teams. Over 50 players per team causes a big difference between the highest and lowest paid and also reduces the average salary. Mahones and Jackson, the Kansan City Chiefs and Baltomera Ravens quarterbacks, they take respectively 37 and 32 million dollars within a salary of 250 and 251 million. The lowest paid are Peyton Hendershot (500 thousand dollars) and Diontae Johnson (620 thousand dollars).
Also the baseball he holds firm and promises ever higher wages. The Philadelphia Phillies, for example, have a total salary of 221 million dollars and an average of 6.1 with the highest paid Zach Wheelere with 42 million and the lowest paid Michael Mercado with 624 thousand dollars. The case of Shoei Ohtani who signed a new contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers at 70 million dollars per season. However, his decision to postpone the payment until 2034 (until then he will only get two million per season) will allow his team to sign top-level players. One step below is the NHL, ice hockey: an average salary remains around 2 million dollars and some stars reach almost 10 (Alston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leaf is the highest paid with 16 million).
CR7 AND TAKEN OUT OF COMPETITION
The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi league and of Leo Messi in Major League Soccer upset plans. CR7 reaches 200 million a yearover 60 percent of the assets of the entire Al Nassr, the team in which he plays, which has a salary of 344 million. The lowest paid player is Mohammed Marran with just 90 thousand dollars. Inter Miami grants 20 million to Messi within the overall 42. The average salaries are equal to 1.1 million dollars, the lowest paid player is Leo Alfonso with 71 thousand dollars. An abysmal difference.
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Ary cap creates a scenario where teams must invest strategically, which can limit the earning potential of individual players, even if they are superstars. This difference in structure reflects the overall economic models of the two sports.
Let’s begin the interview. Our first guest today is John Smith, a sports journalist with extensive experience covering football and basketball in particular. Our second guest is Sarah Johnson, an economist who specializes in sports industries and their economic impact.
Host: Thank you both for joining us today. Let’s start by discussing the findings of the report that compares football salaries to other sports leagues. John, what do you think of the report’s conclusions on football’s dominance in terms of salary parity and availability?
John: Well, it’s not surprising to see football at the top of the salary table. The sport attracts a huge global audience and has a massive following, which translates into substantial revenue for clubs. However, it’s interesting to see that even state-owned clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid are in competition with each other when it comes to player wages.
Host: Sarah, as an economist, can you provide some insights into why football seems to be at the top of the salary ladder?
Sarah: Yes, that’s true. Football clubs have a huge revenue stream, and they’re able to command high subscription fees, ticket sales, and merchandise revenue. This allows them to offer high salaries to attract top talent from around the world. The fact that many top clubs are owned by wealthy individuals or governments also contributes to their ability to pay high salaries.
Host: Let’s move on to the NBA and compare some of the salaries to those of football. John, what are your thoughts on the salary disparity in basketball compared to football?
John: The NBA has some incredibly high salaries, especially for star players like LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. However, the salary cap ensures that the overall spending is more evenly distributed among the teams. This creates a more competitive environment, as teams have to manage their resources carefully rather than simply outspending each other.
Host: Sarah, do you think the salary cap affects the value of individual players in the NBA compared to football?
Sarah: Absolutely. In football, there’s a greater emphasis on collective bargaining and team building, which can lead to inflated wages for the top players. In the NBA, the sal
