Soccer Teams Have 8 of the World’s Top 10 Highest Payrolls

When it comes to paying athletes, American professional sports teams still aren't matching the dollars being spent by the top European soccer clubs. 

ESPN and SportingIntelligence released a Global Salary Survey that showed the annual payroll for 333 of the top professional sports teams, and 8 of the top 10 come from the sports of soccer. Paris Saint-Germain of the French Ligue 1 pays each of its players an average of $9.1 million per year, which is a half-million more than Real Madrid and Manchester City.

While the world's top soccer clubs are paying the most per player, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the highest total payroll by a significant margin. Magic Johnson and the other owners are paying out $272.8 million for its roster of stars, which is a staggering 20% more than the second-higest Paris Saint-Germain.

Out of the top 10, only the Dodgers and the Yankees make the list from the United States, but the NBA might be higher if the teams carried a deeper roster. That sport actually pays the richest overall salary per player at $4.6 million.

And the NFL? Well, thanks to a salary cap, you won't find a football team until the Miami Dolphins at 124th overall.

To see the full list of salaries, click here.