Top 10 Richest Football Referee in the World - Sports Lulu List are 1. Bjorn Kuipers 2. Pierluigi Collina Net Worth - $4 Million 3. Cuneyt Cakir and more.
Referees maintain rules on the football pitch and ensure fair play. Many people do not focus on the referees; however, they also have a burdensome task ahead of them. They must observe each player's movements, call out foul plays and mediate the fights between players. The linesmen and VAR technology have made their work a little easier.
Football is a rewarding experience with many players who make it to the wealthiest athletes list in the world, like Ronaldo, Messi, and Neymar.
Generally, the players are at highlight for their earnings, but have you ever wondered if certain referees are rich too? Well, here is the list of the top 10 wealthiest referees in the world.
Gianluca Rocchi from Italy ($1 million)
Italian football referee Gianluca Rocchi has a net worth of $1 million.
He became a UEFA Elite from 2010 up to 2020, allowing him to earn more from UEFA's matches. He started his professional career by refereeing from the Serie C in 2000, where he officiated 38 games. Then, in 2004, he quickly got promoted to Serie A, letting him earn about $3500 per game.
He was one of the referees in the 2017's Confederations Cup and an assistant referee in the World Cup 2018. His primary source of net worth is his professional referee career, and he has become one of the richest today.
Clement Turpin from France ($1 million)
France's footballer Clement Turpin has a net worth of $1 million.
He has been refereeing since 2006 in the Frech league and jumped to Ligue 1 in 2008, earning about $2900 per game. He is still active in Ligue 1 at the moment.
In 2010, he was officially listed by FIFA, making him available for international tournaments. He was chosen as one of the assistant referees in World Cup 2018, earning approximately $70,000.
In 2012, he got to become UEFA's elite referee, making him start earning about $10,000 per match. His most significant moment came when he officiated the Champions League finals match of Liverpool vs. Real Madrid.
Damir Skomina is from Slovenia($1.5 million)
Slovenian football referee Mark Clattenburg net worth is $1.5 million.
He is a UEFA Elite referee, which gave him the privilege of earning $10,000 per match before retiring in 2021. With involvement in so many top-level competitions since his professional career started in 2003, it is no surprise that he has become one of the wealthiest referees in the world.
He has been in many top competitions, including World Cup 2018. In World Cup, he earned about $70,000 and $3,000 per match, as is the payment designation. He officiated many group-stage games and then a Round of 16 between Sweden and Switzerland.
His net worth is primarily from his earnings since he isn't involved in other financial activities.
Mark Clattenburg Net Worth - $1.5 million
Mark Clattenburg Net Worth has a of $1.5 million in 2023.
In 2017, he signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. Under the agreement, he is entitled to receive $650,000 annually, i.e., one season. This offer just made him one of the wealthiest football referees.
According to Wikipedia, he left Saudi and went to China to referee. Per his IG post on August 5, 2022, he has now become the head of refereeing of the Egypt Football Association.
He is a veteran referee who has been professionally on the field since 2006. He has already been in 297 Premier League matches and made 28 UEFA Champions League appearances. A premier league referee earns about £70-£200k annually, so he has earned a lot over the years.
No wonder he has a good net worth since he has been refereeing for top European leagues and grabbing opportunities in various prospective countries.
All of his net worth is from his earnings since he doesn't seem to be involved in any side businesses.
Felix Brych from Germany ($2 million)
Germany's referee Felix Brych has made a net worth of 2 million dollars.
He was a UEFA's elite category referee, and this type of referee earns at least $10,000 per match.
He has made all of this money from his earnings as a referee. He got the most out of international tournaments like the World Cup 2014 and 2018, earning $70,000 per match earnings from each. He was also listed as the referee in the 2016 and 2020 Euro Cup, which gave him more payments.
He is still active and has been refereeing for the Bundesliga. in Bundesliga, an average referee will earn about $3500 per game. Felix is one of the best, with over 15 years of experience, that is why he is one of the richest.
Antonio Mateu Lopez from Spain ($2 million)
Spain football referee Antonio Mateu Lopez has a net worth of $2 million.
He has been in La Liga since 2008 and has featured in officiating many matches for over a decade. He gets a per-match fee of about €6,000 and an annual salary of about €250,000 today.
In the international platform, he was listed by FIFA in January 2011 and has been appointed in many top-level tournaments, including the World Cup and the Olympics. Recently, he was called for the World Cup 2022.
He is designated to be officiating the upcoming match of Qatar vs. Senegal. He will earn about $3,000 in that match alone and be richer by the end of the tournament.
Daniel Makkelie from Netherlands ($3 million)
Netherlands football referee Daniel Makkelie has a net worth of 3 million dollars.
He has been in this profession since 2009 and has refereed his whole life in Eredivisie, the Dutch football League. The Dutch league pays an annual average salary of about $96,000, and he has been continuously in the League for over 10 years.
Makkielie was FIFA listed in 2011, and his important refereeing tournament is the Euro 2020. He was promoted to the elite category of referees by UEFA in June 2017.
His source of net worth is primarily his football career. However, most do not know that he also works as a police inspector in Rotterdam.
Cuneyt Cakir from Turkey ($3 million)
Cuneyt Cakir is a Turkish football referee with a net worth of 3 million dollars.
His source of having high net worth is all from his earnings as a professional referee since his career started in 2001. He has been a UEFA elite since 2010 and earned $10,000 per match. His major refereeing match at the club level was during the 2015'S Champions League final of Barcelona against Juventus.
At the international level, he earned from officiating multiple matches in FIFA World Cup 2014 and 2018 World Cup. He has also been in the Euro Cup 2012. He was present in the semi-final match of the Netherlands against Argentina. In 2018, he was the referee for the semi-finals of Croatia against England.
Pierluigi Collina Net Worth - $4 million
Italy's football referee Pierluigi Collina has a net worth of $4 million in 2023. I have not seen Pierluigi Collina with hair in my life.
He has made earnings since his career started in 1988 in Serie C2. In 1991, he became a referee in the Serie A, which gives about $3600 to its referees per match. He was in the Italian league for over a decade and got to referee in the Coppa Italia too.
At the international level, he got FIFAl listed in 1995 and was active in the 2002 World Cup. He got earnings from Athens Olympics too.
Moreover, he has been active and making earnings in Ukraine as the head of referees for the country's football federation. He has also appeared in cover pictures of soccer games, like the PES 3 and 4. He has also earned a fair share from his many television advertisements for brands like Vauxhall Vectra and MB Pivo.
Bjorn Kuipers from Netherlands ($12 million)
Netherlands' Bjorn Kuipers is the wealthiest football referee in the world, with a net worth of $12 million.
He has been in the Dutch league, Eredivisie, since 2005 and retired in 2021, making about $96,000 annually over his career there. In 2009, he was inducted into the UEFA elite and started his privilege of earning more money through officiating matches in the Champions League.
In his international career, he was appointed to referee in the World Cup 2014 and 2018 and, recently, in the Euro 2020.
However, Bjorn is a unique case, unlike other referees who have earned through their referee profession only. He has another source of income too.
He studied business at his University and applied that knowledge to open a supermarket in Oldenzaal, his hometown. The supermarket's name is Jumbo. Today Jumbo is a supermarket chain and has franchises in many places in the Netherlands and Belgium.
As per The Daily Star newspaper, the supermarket's value in 2022 is more than that of the legendary boxer Mike Tyson whose net worth is about £8.4 million.
