Vinícius becomes the highest-paid Brazilian. Raphinha earns less than half as much

There is plenty of room to debate which of them offers more on the pitch. Their salaries leave considerably less to discuss. Vinícius Júnior reportedly earns more than twice as much as Raphinha.

NO EXTRA TIME NEEDED: 36.9 TO 16.7

According to a ranking published by Brazilian outlet UOL, Vinícius has become the highest-paid Brazilian footballer in the world. After signing his new Real Madrid contract, his gross annual salary is reportedly worth €36.9 million.

Raphinha sits in joint third place. Capology estimates his fixed gross salary at Barcelona at €16.7 million per season, excluding bonuses. Rodrygo is believed to earn the same amount at Real Madrid.

The annual difference between Vinícius and Raphinha is €20.2 million. The Barcelona winger earns roughly 45 per cent of the amount attributed to the Real Madrid forward. Put simply, he does not even reach half.

That works out at approximately €3.08 million per month for Vinícius and €1.39 million for Raphinha. El Clásico can be closely contested. This particular duel was over before kick-off.

REAL MADRID PAID FOR PEACE OF MIND

Real Madrid officially extended Vinícius’ contract until 30 June 2032. According to UOL, the Brazilian received a 35 per cent pay rise. The new agreement ended speculation over a potential move to Arsenal and secured the future of one of the team’s most important players.

That security came at a substantial price. Vinícius has moved ahead of Roberto Firmino, who reportedly earns €35 million per year at Qatar’s Al-Sadd. Only after those two does the financial reality of Brazil’s other leading players begin.

Raphinha and Rodrygo are listed at €16.7 million each. They are followed by Gabriel Jesus on an estimated €16.1 million and Bruno Guimarães on €15.2 million.

RAPHINHA SHARES THE PODIUM WITH RODRYGO

Raphinha’s position remains impressive. He is Barcelona’s highest-paid Brazilian and shares third place in the national ranking with Rodrygo. The gap to Vinícius, however, illustrates how far Real Madrid had to go to keep their winger.

Barcelona extended Raphinha’s contract until 2028. His salary remains among the highest at the Catalan club, but it is nowhere near the level of Vinícius’ new agreement. Madrid are no longer paying only for the Brazilian’s current quality. They are also paying to close the door on the clubs waiting for the negotiations to collapse.

Raphinha can still compete with Vinícius through his performances, his role for Brazil or the next El Clásico result. When it comes to their payslips, another category would probably be safer.

THE FIGURES ARE ESTIMATES. THE GAP IS NOT

Real Madrid and Barcelona do not disclose the complete terms of individual contracts. The Vinícius figure comes from UOL’s reporting, while Raphinha’s salary is a Capology estimate that excludes bonuses. The comparison also leaves out private endorsement agreements and other sources of income.

These are therefore current media estimates rather than figures taken from official club documents. Even with that qualification, the difference remains enormous.

Vinícius secured a contract matching his status at Real Madrid and brought months of negotiations to a successful conclusion. Raphinha earns less than half as much, despite sitting on the podium among the highest-paid Brazilian players.

Sometimes it takes a ranking like this to show just how high the ceiling has been raised. At Barcelona, Raphinha is a financial heavyweight. Next to Vinícius, he looks as though he joined the club’s savings programme.