NEW YORK — Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi is the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer for the third straight year, with his total annual compensation of $20,446,667 also greater than the entire payroll of 21 of the league’s 30 teams.
Messi’s base compensation is $12 million, the Major League Soccer Players Association said Wednesday.
The figures for the 38-year-old star from Argentina cover his MLS deal, which runs through the 2025 season, including any marketing bonus and agents’ fees. They do not account for any additional agreements with the team or its affiliates, or for any performance bonuses.
The average guaranteed compensation of $649,120 was up 9.2% from $594,389 in May 2024.
Miami, which signed Messi in 2023, topped the league with a record $46.8 million payroll as of May 23, up from $41.7 million at the end of last season. Miami’s payroll was double that of all teams other than Toronto FC ($34.1 million) and Atlanta United FC ($27.6 million).
FC Cincinnati was fourth at $23.2 million, followed by the Los Angeles Galaxy ($22.9 million) — who won last year’s MLS Cup title — Los Angeles FC ($22.4 million) and the Chicago Fire ($22.1 million).
San Diego FC, an expansion club that debuted this year, was 10th at $20 million.
CF Montreal had the lowest payroll of the league’s 30 teams at just less than $12 million. The Philadelphia Union were 29th at $13.4 million.
Among players, Toronto winger Lorenzo Insigne was second at $15.4 million in total compensation, followed by Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets ($8,774,996), Atlanta winger Miguel Almirón ($7,871,000), San Diego winger Hirving “Chucky” Lozano ($7,633,333), Toronto winger Federico Bernardeschi ($6,295,381), New York Red Bulls winger Emil Forsberg ($6,023,625), Miami left back Jordi Alba ($6 million), L.A. Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig ($5,779,688), Chicago winger Jonathan Bomba ($5,581,806) and Nashville SC midfielder Hany Mukhtar ($5,311,667).
The league has 11 players who will earn $5 million or more, up from nine at the start of last season, and 50 will earn $2 million or higher, an increase from 44. There were 131 at $1 million or more, up from 115 at the start of last year.
Total compensation of all 902 signed players was $586 million, up 12.9% from $519 million at start of 2024, 27.4% from $460 million at the start of 2023 and 48.7% from $394 million at the beginning of 2022.
In addition to Lozano and Bamba, other notable newcomers included Atlanta forward Emmanuel Latte Lath ($4,030,546 in total compensation), Cincinnati forward Kévin Denkey ($3.81 million), Charlotte FC winger Wilfried Zaha ($2,751,667) and Red Bulls forward Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting ($3,530,667).
Los Angeles FC forward Olivier Giroud was at $3,675,000 and Portland Timbers midfielder David Da Costa at $3,425,000.
Among MLS players who are also part of the U.S. national team, Nashville defender Walker Zimmerman had total compensation of $3,456,979, Seattle Sounders winger Jordan Morris $2.26 million, Seattle forward Jesús Ferreira $1,828,960, Colorado Rapids midfielder Djordje Mihailovic $1,775,000, Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson $1,650,171, Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldán $1,666,000, San Diego midfielder Luca de la Torre $1,535,331, Charlotte defender Tim Ream $1,127,750, Colorado goalkeeper Zack Steffen $1 million, Cincinnati right back DeAndre Yedlin $948,750 and Colorado defender Reggie Cannon $841,500.
Charlotte forward Patrick Agyemang, who has three goals for the U.S. in the CONCACAF Gold Cup with the Americans set to play in the quarterfinals this weekend, earns $104,000. Other Gold Cup players include Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna $499,833, goalkeeper Matt Freese $420,000 and defender Alex Freeman $108,000.