Inter Miami CF Star Messi Sits Atop The MLS Salary List Again
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 19: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami celebrates scoring his third ... More goal during the second half against the New England Revolution at Chase Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by)
It should not be surprising that Inter Miami CF superstar Lionel Messi is the top paid player in Major League Soccer for the second consecutive year.
Messi will earn a guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667 this season, which includes a salary base of $12 million, according to the MLS Players Association.
Given his star power and history, Messi is the biggest drawing card and most popular player in the league. His shirt is the top seller among league players, according to MLSSoccer.com. He has scored 10 goals and assisted on six others this season and has accumulated 31 goals and 22 assists in 38 appearances since joining Inter Miami CF in 2023.
Last year, the 38-year-old forward earned the same amount in guaranteed compensation.
Messi's salary surpassed the total salary outlay of 20 teams of the 30 MLS teams.
Inter Miami CF placed three players among the top 15 wage earners. That included defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets, who was third at $8.7 million and left back Jordi Alba, who was eighth at $6 million.
TORONTO, ONTARIO - MAY 10: Lorenzo Insigne #24 of Toronto FC celebrates after scoring his teams ... More first goal against D.C. United during the second half at BMO Field on May 10, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by)
Some leading men
Toronto FC winger Lorenzo Insigne was second at $15.4 million, followed by Busquets, Atlanta United winger Miguel Almiron at $7.8 million and San Diego FC forward Hiriving Lozano at $7.6 million.
Insigne has one goal and three assists in 12 appearances. Busquets, a defensive midfielder, has three assists in 15 matches. Almiron has totaled three goals and three assists in 17 contests. Lozano has recorded five goals and seven assists in 14 matches.
Austin FC's Brandon Vazquez leads all Americans at $3,551,778, followed by Nashville SC's Walker Zimmerman at $3,456,979, Seattle Sounders' Jordan Morris at $2,260,000, Seattle Sounders' Jésus Ferreira at $1,828,960 and Colorado Rapids' Djordje Mihailovic at $1,775,000.
A total of 131 players will earn at least $1 million.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 09: Brad Guzan #1 of Atlanta United reacts against Inter Miami ... More during the second half of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup playoffs at Chase Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by)
A few bargains
Not everyone will earn or come close to seven figures. In fact, several productive players are bargains compared to their colleagues.
Atlanta United and former USMNT goalkeeper Brad Guzan, whose heroics helped eliminate from the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, is set to earn $312,500.
Two players on the USMNT Concacaf Gold Cup team could be in line for substantial pay raises, including Orlando City SC defender Alex Freeman ($108,000) and Charlotte FC forward Patrick Agyemang ($104,000), who has scored twice for the USA in the competition.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - MARCH 02: Sergio Busquets #5 of Inter Miami CF controls the ball during ... More the second half against the Orlando City SC at Chase Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by)
Highs and lows of teams
Messi, Busquets and Alba helped propel Inter Miami CF to the top of the league in salary outlay at $46,836,635. Inter Miami (8-3-5, 29 points), which will meet Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday, is in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Due to its participation in the tournament, Miami has three games in hand on many of its rivals.
Toronto FC was second behind Miami at $34,146,193 in guaranteed compensation, but the Canadian side has not been getting a bang for its bucks from its salaries to date. The team sits in 14th place out of 15 Eastern Conference teams with a 3-10-5 record and 14 points.
CF Montreal, which had the lowest outlay at $11,993,946, resides in the conference basement with a 2-12-5 mark and 11 points.
The team that is getting the most out of its player investment is the Eastern Conference leader Philadelphia Union (12-3-4, 40), which is 28th in guaranteed compensation at $13,365,549.
Minnesota United (9-4-6, 33), which sits in third place in the Western Conference, has a salary outlay of $13,804,472, the fifth lowest amount.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 03: Miguel Almirón #10 of Atlanta United celebrates after scoring the team's ... More first goal during the MLS match between Atlanta United and Nashville SC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on May 03, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mitch Martin - Atlanta United/MLS via Getty Images)
Top 20 salaries
Here are the top 20 highest paid players, which is a guaranteed salary (10 are forwards):
1. Lionel Messi, forward, Inter Miami, $20,446,667
2. Lorenzo Insigne, forward Toronto, $15,400,000
3. Sergio Busquets, midfielder, Inter Miami, $8,774,996
4. Miguel Almiron, forward, Atlanta United, $7,871,000
5. Hirving Lozano, forward, San Diego FC, $7,633,333
6. Federico Bernardeschi, forward, Toronto, $6,295,381
7. Emil Forsberg, midfielder, New York Red Bulls, $6,035,625
8. Jordi Alba, defender, Inter Miami, $6,000,000
9. Riqui Puig, midfielder, LA Galaxy, $5,779,688
10. Jonathan Bamba, forward, Chicago Fire, $5,581,806
11. Hany Mukhtar, midfielder, Nashville, $5,311,667
12. Christian Benteke, forward, D.C. United, $4,937,500
13. Alexey Miranchuk, midfielder, Atlanta United, $4,885,441
14. Evander, midfielder, FC Cincinnati, $4,736,411
15. Carles Gil, midfielder, New England Revolution, $4,702,083
16. Luciano Acosta, midfielder, FC Dallas, $4,296,413
17. Joseph Paintsil, midfielder, LA Galaxy, $4,182,000
18. Emmanuel Latte Lath, forward, Atlanta United, $4,030,546
19. Luis Muriel, forward, Orlando City FC, $4,003,333
20. Kévin Denkey, forward, FC Cincinnati, $3,810,000
To see the full salary report, visit https://mlsplayers.org/resources/salary-guide
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