Football also known as soccer is an immensely popular sport in many parts of the world. Talented soccer players have great earning potential. Many soccer leagues pay their players very well, especially in Europe.

Here are the top five football leagues that pay their players the most.

5) Ligue 1, France – Average annual salary: $1,544,860

Ligue 1 is the highest level of soccer in France, which has been around since the early 1930s. The league features clubs from all over France. An average Ligue 1 player makes around $1.5 million annually. The league was founded in 1932 and has 20 teams. Its finances and budgets are managed by the DNCG, an organization responsible for monitoring the accounts of professional association football clubs in France. Clubs Marseille and Lyon are among the richest soccer clubs in the world.

4) La Liga, Spain – Average annual salary: $1,896,775

La Liga is Spain’s top tier of competition. It has immense star power. According to UEFA’s league coefficient, it is the strongest league in Europe over the past five years. The league’s clubs have won the most UEFA Champions League tournaments (14). La Liga was founded in 1929 and has 20 teams. Soccer sensation Lionel Messi is part of this league. In 2013, Gareth Bale was bought by Real Madrid for $140 million from Tottenham Hotspur.