Where the money comes from
| Rank | Joint 19th of the 34 footballers in the Daily Star's full list, May 2022 Daily Star |
| Club then | Chelsea, one of the clubs with the most players on the 2022 list (Daily Star) Daily Star |
Mateo Kovačić is a Croatian midfielder who plays for Manchester City. He won two league titles with Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager, then played for Inter Milan and Real Madrid, where he won three Champions Leagues, before winning a fourth with Chelsea in 2021. He joined City in 2023 and has played at four World Cups for Croatia, winning silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022.
The Sunday Times valued his wealth at £16 million in May 2022, about $21.4 million at the October 30, 2026 exchange rate. That put him joint 19th among the 34 footballers on its list of the richest people in the UK aged 30 and under, which counts people living in Britain.
How he made his money
Kovačić's wealth comes mainly from more than a decade of wages at some of Europe's richest clubs, including Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City, plus sponsorship deals.
He was included on the British list because he was living and playing in London when it was compiled. The reports we checked did not break down his fortune, so this page gives only the headline figure.
Career at a glance
Kovačić was born in Linz, Austria, to Croatian parents and joined Dinamo Zagreb's academy at 13. He made his debut for Dinamo at 16 and moved to Inter in 2013 for about €15 million.
After winning nine trophies at Real Madrid he joined Chelsea, first on loan, and was named the club's player of the year for 2019-20. He was selected for Croatia's squad at the 2026 World Cup.
About this estimate
The Sunday Times publishes its Rich List every spring, along with a list of the 100 richest people in the UK aged 30 and under. The May 2022 edition included 34 footballers, and the Daily Star printed all of them with their figures. It valued Kovačić's wealth at the amount shown on this page. The paper bases its numbers on identifiable wealth such as earnings after tax, property and company stakes, not on salary alone.
This is the most recent Sunday Times figure for Kovačić that we could find. It has not been updated since 2022, so his wealth today is likely different. We show the figure as published, in pounds, with a rough dollar conversion at the October 30, 2026 exchange rate. Transfer fees and wages mentioned on this page are club spending or earnings, not wealth.
Career and money timeline
- 2013
Joins Inter Milan from Dinamo Zagreb.
- 2015
Moves to Real Madrid, where he wins three Champions Leagues.
- 2018
Reaches the World Cup final with Croatia and joins Chelsea.
- 2021
Wins a fourth Champions League, with Chelsea.
- 2022
Valued at £16 million on the Sunday Times Young Rich List; wins World Cup bronze.
- 2023
Joins Manchester City and wins the Premier League in his first season.
Mateo Kovačić net worth FAQ
What is Mateo Kovačić's net worth?
The Sunday Times Young Rich List valued Mateo Kovačić at £16 million in May 2022, joint 19th among the footballers on the list. That is about $21.4 million at the October 30, 2026 exchange rate, and it is the most recent Sunday Times figure we could find.
Where do these numbers come from?
The net worth figure is the Sunday Times Rich List's own published estimate, linked with its date at the top of the page. Every figure on this page is linked to its source below.
Sources
- Daily Star, Man Utd stars swamp Sunday Times Young Rich List as 34 footballers make the top 100 (full footballer list) (May 23, 2022)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, Mateo Kovačić (accessed November 1, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for money figures.
Photo: Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Every number on this page comes from the named source next to it. Totals and percentages are simple sums of those published figures. We never fill in missing years with our own guesses. How we handle estimates.