Ranking · International
Ten football countries ranked by what they take
France takes 54.7% and Saudi Arabia takes nothing. The spread across the ten countries behind our leagues is $5,470,000 on a $10M contract.
The ranking
| # | Country | Combined top rate | On $10M |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 54.7% | $5,470,000 |
| 2 | Portugal | 53% | $5,300,000 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 49.5% | $4,950,000 |
| 4 | Germany | 47.5% | $4,747,500 |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 47% | $4,700,000 |
| 6 | Spain | 47% | $4,700,000 |
| 7 | Italy | 46.5% | $4,650,000 |
| 8 | Turkey | 40% | $4,000,000 |
| 9 | India | 39% | $3,900,000 |
| 10 | Saudi Arabia | 0% | $0 |
Combined means national plus local top rate, including social contributions where they are charged on salary. Special regimes for new arrivals — the Dutch 30% ruling, the old Spanish Beckham Law, Italy's Growth Decree — are noted on the individual country pages and can cut the effective rate substantially.
The regimes that change the answer
A headline rate is only half the story. The Netherlands lets qualifying foreign employees receive 30% of salary tax-free, which is why Eredivisie net pay can beat leagues with nominally lower rates. Italy repealed its Growth Decree, which removed the advantage that had drawn foreign players to Serie A. Spain's Beckham Law no longer applies to most footballers.