Xherdan Shaqiri, a Swiss professional footballer, has accumulated a net worth of $25 million. As a winger for the MLS team Chicago Fire, he holds the distinction of being the league’s highest-paid athlete.
Xherdan Shaqiri is a professional footballer with a net worth totaling $25 million. He competes as a winger for the MLS organization Chicago Fire. Before joining the American club, he played for multiple European teams, including Basel, Bayern Munich, Stoke City, and Liverpool. Born in Serbia (then part of Yugoslavia), Shaqiri represents Switzerland internationally and has participated in major tournaments with the national team, earning over 120 appearances. Shaqiri’s contract with the Chicago Fire guarantees him a base salary of $7.3 million annually. In 2023, his earnings reached $8.1 million. Even at his base pay rate, he stands as the top-earning player in MLS history. To illustrate his standing, the average MLS player makes $473,000 per year, while the league’s minimum wage is $65,000 annually. Born on October 10, 1991, in Gjilan, which was then part of Serbia within Yugoslavia, Shaqiri is of Kosovo Albanian heritage and has three siblings. His family relocated to Switzerland in 1992, settling in Augst, Basel-Country. He began his football journey in 1999 with local club SV Augst. In 2001, Shaqiri joined FC Basel’s youth program, continuing until 2009. During this period, he also represented Basel’s reserve squad in the Swiss 1. Liga from 2007 to 2009. He turned professional with Basel in 2009 and made his senior debut in the 2009-10 season. That year, he contributed to the club’s victory in both the Swiss Super League and Swiss Cup. Basel secured another Super League title in 2010-11 and repeated the double feat in 2011-12. For the 2012-13 season, Shaqiri transferred to Bayern Munich in Germany’s Bundesliga. The club enjoyed an exceptional campaign, claiming the Bundesliga crown, UEFA Champions League, and DFB-Pokal. This achievement marked Bayern Munich’s first-ever treble. Additionally, the team won the 2013 UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. He remained with Bayern Munich until early 2015, by which time he had become Switzerland’s most decorated footballer in history. In early 2015, Shaqiri moved to Inter Milan in Italy’s Serie A. He netted his first league goal in February during an away victory over Atalanta, and four days later, scored his first European goal for Inter in a draw against Celtic. On August 11, 2015, Shaqiri signed with Stoke City in England for a club-record fee of £12 million. His first season saw 32 appearances as Stoke finished ninth. The following year, he made 22 appearances as the club placed 13th. In his final season with Stoke in 2017-18, he featured in 38 matches and led the team in scoring with eight goals. Shaqiri joined Liverpool in the summer of 2018. Later that year, he delivered a standout performance with two goals in a 3-1 win over Manchester United, ending Liverpool’s five-year winless streak against the rivals. The 2019 UEFA Champions League title followed, along with the UEFA Super Cup months later. In December, he played a key role as Liverpool claimed the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup. His contributions culminated in the 2019-20 season when Liverpool secured its first Premier League championship in three decades. He spent one more season with the club before departing. In the summer of 2021, Shaqiri signed with Lyon in France’s Ligue 1 on a contract running through 2024. However, limited playing time led to his dissatisfaction, prompting an early exit in 2022. Shaqiri then moved to the United States, signing with the MLS club Chicago Fire in February 2022. The transfer represented the most expensive in the club’s history, valued at $7.5 million. On the international stage, Shaqiri has represented Switzerland across all age groups. After competing with the under-17, under-18, under-19, and under-21 teams, he made his senior national team debut in 2010 during a friendly against Uruguay. He was included in Switzerland’s squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His first senior international goal came in a Euro 2012 qualifier against England. Shaqiri returned to the FIFA World Cup in 2014, scoring a hat-trick in a group-stage match against Honduras. Switzerland was eliminated in the round of 16. He later helped the team reach the last 16 in Euro 2016. Shaqiri participated in his third FIFA World Cup in 2018, scoring his 21st international goal and becoming one of Switzerland’s top ten all-time scorers. The following year, he helped guide his country to the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, where they finished fourth. He continued his international career at Euro 2020 and later at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In the latter tournament, he became the fifth Swiss player to reach 100 caps. He went on to play for Switzerland in Euro 2024, netting his 32nd international goal and helping his team advance to the quarterfinals. © 2026 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved