Inter Miami star continues to dominate Major League Soccer on and off the field
LOS ANGELES: Football superstar Lionel Messi remains the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer (MLS), according to the latest salary figures released by the MLS Players Association.
According to Beyond Time News, Messi now earns a massive annual base salary of $25 million with Inter Miami CF. His guaranteed compensation has reached $28.3 million under his latest contract extension.
The new deal, signed in October, will keep the Argentine football legend at Inter Miami until the end of the 2028 season.
Messi Earns More Than Double the Second-Highest Paid MLS Player
South Korean football star Son Heung-min ranks second on the MLS salary list after joining Los Angeles FC last year.
Son reportedly moved to MLS for a record transfer fee of $26 million. He currently earns a base salary of $10.36 million and receives total guaranteed compensation of $11.2 million.
Messi’s earnings remain more than double Son’s salary, highlighting the global icon’s huge commercial and sporting value.
The salary figures released by the players association do not include endorsement income. Messi also holds an option to buy a stake in Inter Miami, a club co-owned by former England football star David Beckham.
Messi Continues to Shine for Inter Miami
The 38-year-old forward continues to deliver outstanding performances in MLS. Since joining Inter Miami in 2023, Messi has scored 59 goals in 64 regular-season matches.
Last season, he finished as the league’s top scorer with 29 goals. He also won the MLS Most Valuable Player award for the second consecutive year.
Messi is now preparing to lead Argentina national football team in their FIFA World Cup title defence next month.
Read more:Sports Pique sees France as World Cup favourites, hopes US hype will last
Other Highest-Paid MLS Stars Revealed
Inter Miami midfielder Rodrigo De Paul sits third on the salary rankings with guaranteed earnings of $9.7 million.
Mexican international Hirving Lozano, also known as “Chucky” Lozano, ranks fourth with compensation worth $9.3 million despite not playing for San Diego FC since November.
Meanwhile, Miguel Almirón completes the top five highest-paid MLS players. The Atlanta United FC star earns around $7.9 million in guaranteed compensation.
According to Beyond Time News, total MLS player compensation has now reached $631 million. The average guaranteed salary across the league stands at $688,816, marking an increase of nearly 9 percent since last October.
