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  • Sports - Football - Gossips
  • Updated: November 10, 2022

Top 10 Highest-Paid Football Referees In 2022

Top 10 Highest-Paid Football Referees In 2022

Here is a complete list of the top 10 football referees in terms of salary for the year 2022.

The majority of the individuals on the list have officiated in significant international tournaments, leagues, and competitions in football. 

While there are lucrative careers for referees in other sports like boxing, cricket, tennis, and basketball, it seems that football referees are leading the pack in terms of pay.

1. Dr Felix Brych

Felix Brych, who was born on August 3, 1975, is currently employed by the Bavarian Football Association's SV Am Heart München.

He is a FIFA-registered official, a member of the UEFA elite group, and receives about $10,000 per game.

Aside from football, he is a doctor of law.

Brych was chosen by FIFA to be one of the officials for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, which will be his second FIFA World Cup. 

During the competition, he only oversaw one game, Switzerland's 2-1 triumph against Serbia.

FIFA made the contentious decision to bar Brych from officiating any more world cup games after he denied Serbia a penalty in an earlier encounter.

2. Damir Skomina

The current highest-paid referee in the Champions League is Damir Skomina.

He receives base pay of $10,000 each game as a member of UEFA's elite panel. He has officiated several important games since 2008.

He also worked as the fourth official for the 2008 Summer Olympics football competition.

He presided over the historic 2019-2020 UEFA Champions League quarter-final match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Bayern defeated Barcelona 8-2 in the match, which was played at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. It was Barcelona's biggest loss in 69 years.

3. Gianluca Rocchi

Since 2000, Gianluca Rocchi, an Italian referee who started his career in 1990, has overseen 38 games in three Serie C seasons.

After receiving a promotion to a higher series, he refereed in the Lecce-Reggina Calcio to make his US debut (May 16, 2004).

He was given a job on the Serie A National Referee Committee after the Series A and Series B National Referee Committees split in 2010.

On May 26, 2008, he participated in his first international game between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Rocchi receives $8,000 in pay for each game.

4. Daniele Orsato 

Daniele Orsato was born on November 23, 1975. In 2010, FIFA appointed Orsato as a referee.

In World Cup and Euro 2012 qualifying matches, he served as the referee.

Additionally, he oversaw the second leg of Chelsea's 2021 UEFA Champions League semifinal match against Real Madrid as well as the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Orsato was recognized by the IFFHS as the year's top football adjudicator in 2020. He receives an $8,000 salary.

5. Clément Turpin 


Clèment Turpin is a football official from France. He was appointed a FIFA official in 2010 and a UEFA Elite group referee in 2012, earning about $10,000 each game.

Clèment Turpin was recognized as the finest French referee in May 2016 by the French Football Federation.

In 2014 and 2018, he oversaw World Cup qualifying matches. He participated in the UEFA Europa League final between Villarreal and Manchester United on May 26, 2021.

6. Danny Makkelie 

A FIFA member since 2011, Danny Makkelie is a Dutch professional football referee.

He receives an annual salary of $8,000 from his membership in the UEFA elite group.

As a UEFA Elite official, he officiated the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship final.

Additionally, Makkelie was chosen by UEFA to officiate the Sevilla vs. Inter Milan UEFA Europa League Final on August 18, 2020.

In Qatar, he oversaw the semifinal match of the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup between the Brazilian team Palmeiras and the Mexican team UANL.

7. Björn Kuipers 


Björn Kuipers is from the Netherlands. He has been a UEFA Elite group referee since 2009 and a FIFA referee since 2006.

He makes a total of $10,000 per match. During games, Sander van Roekel and Erwin Zeinstra, two of his teammates, support him.

Kuipers has officiated at three European Championships and two World Cups.

8. Cüneyt Çakır

One of the highest-paid football referees in the world is Cüneyt Akr.

He is a Turkish soccer official who has been on the UEFA Elite since 2010 and is a FIFA-registered referee since 2006. He is paid $10,000 for each game he referees for UEFA.

Based on data from 2010 to 2021, the referee was recently named the world’s second-best football official by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

He was appointed to referee the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals in Sweden and has officiated over 250 games, including 12 Super Lig derbies, five of which were The Intercontinental Derby between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray.

9. Antonio Mateu Lahoz

Because Spain, where Antonio Mateu Lahoz is from, has the highest basic income in the world, he is one of the best-paid football officials in the world. 

He received a $50,000 World Cup referee salary for officiating the qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final on May 29, 2021, against Manchester City and Chelsea.

He is paid $8,000 for each game he officiates. 

10. Mark Clattenburg

Mark Clattenburg also makes the list as one of the best-paid football referees. 

Sporting Free reports that Clattenburg recently agreed to a contract with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation which comes with a huge pay. 

Each game Clattenburg officiate brings him a payment of $10,000. 

Clattenburg is a current member of the Durham County Football Association and a former Premier League player.

He has presided over several notable games, such as the 2016 UEFA Champions League and Euro Final.

Fans consider Clattenburg to be one of the top European referees of his time.

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