The MLS Players Association (MLSPA) updated the salary list for players in the American competition, and Lionel Messi remains the highest-paid player in the league since arriving at Inter Miami. And the comparison emerged regarding the difference Cristiano Ronaldo has with Al Nassr.
On one hand, it was revealed that Messi has a total annual amount exceeding $28 million, exactly $28,333,333.00. This figure, of course, did not include other types of income connected to his team, such as sponsors or the amount corresponding to him as an Inter Miami shareholder. There is also the base salary, which is $25,000,000.00.
On the other hand, Al Nassr turned Cristiano Ronaldo into the highest-paid player in the world. The Saudi club confirmed that Ronaldo agreed to terms on a two-year extension, as Marca reportedly sees him earn around $185 million annually. An absurd amount, even when compared to Messi.
Comparing Messi salary with MLS
Lionel Messi’s guaranteed salary is more than double that of any other soccer player in MLS at the moment. In second place on the list is Korean forward Son Heung-min, with just over $11 million in guaranteed compensation.
Lionel Messi of Inter Miami.
The highest paid players in MLS:
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) – $ 28.333.333
- Son Heung-min (LAFC) – $ 11.152.852
- Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami) – $ 9.688.320
- Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United) – $ 7.871.000
- Hirving Lozano (San Diego FC) – $ 9.333.333
- Emil Forsberg (New York Red Bulls) – $ 6.035.625
- Sam Surridge (Nashville SC) – $ 5.933.000
- Ricard Puig Marti (LA Galaxy) – $ 5.792.188
- Thomas Muller (Vancouver Whitecaps) – $ 5.152.504
- Jonathan Bamba (Chicago Fire FC) – $ 5.581.806
To give an idea, Miami’s $54.6 million payroll is more than $20 million higher than LAFC, who are second at $32.7 million, and nearly five times as much as Philadelphia’s league low of $11.7 million. Miami’s payroll was up from $46.8 million at the start of last season.
MLS makes these salaries possible
Something that helped make Messi’s contract possible was that total league compensation was $631 million, and the average guaranteed compensation of $688,816 on April 16 was up 8.9% from $632,809 as of last Oct. 1.
Messi’s initial MLS contract, agreed to in July 2023, included a $12 million base salary and annualized guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667. Messi agreed last October to a three-year contract through the 2028 season, then led the team to its first MLS title.
