The U.S. men’s national team is not the richest side at the 2026 World Cup, but several members of the squad nonetheless commanded substantial income in 2025–26. Sportico’s analysis of club pay, international bonuses and commercial revenue shows clear differences among the top earners.

Christian Pulisic stands out. While he earns just over $6 million per year with his Italian club, AC Milan, his total on-field earnings rise to $7.5 million, according to reported estimates. It is the commercial avenues off the field where he makes most of his money, bringing in $20 million over the last year.

Weston McKennie emerged as one of the highest earners in the squad during 2025–26. Sportico estimates he earned $7 million on the field and $8 million off it, for a total of $15 million before the World Cup.

Tim Weah’s reported on-field pay was $6 million for his season with Marseille, supplemented by off-field partnerships including New Balance. The 26-year-old has used that income to join an ownership group for USL side Brooklyn FC.

Midfielder Tyler Adams, a Premier League regular with Bournemouth in 2025–26, earned an estimated $5.5 million on the pitch and $1.5 million off it. He also holds an ownership stake in USL side Westchester SC. A 26-year-old Crystal Palace center back made $5 million with his club and added about $2.5 million through commercial deals; he has invested in Birmingham Legion FC.

Players stand to add to their earnings with a deep run at the World Cup, but U.S. men will split half of their World Cup bonus with players in the U.S. women’s national team pool. Next year, the USMNT players will also earn half of what the USWNT earns during their 2027 World Cup campaign. That arrangement, which the draft links to a 2022 collective bargaining agreement between the USMNT, USWNT and U.S. Soccer, leaves the World Cup less of a standalone cash incentive than it is for many other nations.

West Ham United have placed a substantial asking price on midfielder Mateus Fernandes, valuing him at $113.9 million (£85 million) after initial contact from potential buyers.

Fabrizio Romano shared on YouTube his information that West Ham have “decided” the $113.9 million valuation, a figure that would place Fernandes comfortably inside the top 10 most expensive players ever sold by English clubs. That sum exceeds the 2009 world record move that saw Cristiano Ronaldo leave Manchester United for Real Madrid.

According to the report, Manchester United have made early approaches in the form of contact with Fernandes’s representatives. It is suggested United, who have “started the conversation” with the people close to Fernandes, are exploring midfield options while concluding a deal for Atalanta and Brazil midfielder Éderson and potentially pursuing additional recruits.

The interest is not limited to one suitor. There are “a lot of clubs” tracking the player, both within England and overseas, and Real Madrid are among those mentioned as interested. The report notes midfield remains an area of concern for some big clubs, with established figures such as Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić yet to be replaced.

Fernandes rose to wider attention at Southampton in 2024–25 during only his second season in a top-flight side. He impressed in the Premier League despite Southampton’s relegation and moved to West Ham last August for a fee reported to be $56.8 million (£42 million), after add-ons.

The Portuguese international was capped by his country but was not selected for the 2026 World Cup. West Ham’s need to recoup significant funds is compounded by relegation-related financial pressures and a sell-on clause inserted by Southampton. A reported 15% cut to Fernandes’s fee will be due to his former club, meaning West Ham must extract a higher headline price to make a notable profit on any sale.

Michael Carrick is clear about his immediate priorities with Bruno Fernandes as the midfielder approaches the final year of his Manchester United contract. The manager expects continuity and has signalled the club’s desire to keep a player who has become central to the dressing room.

Carrick was blunt when asked whether Fernandes would still be at the club for the start of the 2026–27 season. “I’ve got no reason to think otherwise.

“We’ve loved what he’s done, and he loves being here. I think you can see that. He’s such an influence for us. He’s been the captain and led by example in different ways. He wants to stay on every single game because he’s enjoying his football, which is fantastic.”

Fernandes will turn 32 in September and has voiced his awareness of how age is viewed in English football. “In England,” he fretted earlier this season, “when a player starts to approach 30, they start to think they need to remodel. It’s like the furniture.” That reality shapes the negotiating backdrop ahead of planned talks.

Talks over a new deal are expected to occur over the coming weeks, BBC Sport report. Manchester United are thought to have the option of unilaterally extending Fernandes’s existing contract for an extra year but, heading towards the World Cup, United’s best player is set to be a free agent by the end of next season.

With the exit of Casemiro, Fernandes stands alone as the club’s top earner. His salary was inflated to somewhere in the region of $470,000 per week following the club’s return to Champions League competition. That places him among the Premier League’s best paid players, and any further increase would represent a major financial commitment.

The relevant question for United is not whether Fernandes merits an extension; that is evident. The issue is whether the club can be confident “Will Fernandes be worth the millions he earns by the end of whatever new deal he is offered?” The article notes similar dilemmas elsewhere, where big short-term deals have carried long-term risk.