When Lionel Messi signed his MLS deal, the details of his contract were a bit of a mystery. On one side Inter Miami would pay around $20 million for his first half season, the final number was reported at $20,446,667 by the Associated Press.
The MLSPU published the number but stated it did not include what the Argentine World Cup winner makes on the back end, from marketing, Apple TV deal, and percentage of jersey sales.
Now the Mirror in the United Kingdom has reported that the number Messi makes when combining his MLS contract, Apple TV and jersey percentage, and other additional marketing agreements, Messi is under Cristiano Ronaldo as the sport’s highest paid player.
Lionel Messi’s 2023 MLS deal
Messi’s reported final wages for the 2023 MLS season according to The Mirror are at $135 million. Meaning Messi made $115 million from jersey sales, Apple TV subscriptions, and additional agreements. This number could be even bigger in 2024 if sales are higher on all fronts.
Technically Messi’s base salary is $12 million, with a total guaranteed compensation of just over $20 million. The next-highest paid MLS player is Lorenzo Insigne of Toronto FC, whose $7.5 million base salary and $15.4 million guaranteed compensation follow Messi.
The 2024 MLS salaries should be published in April or May of this year, Cristiano Ronaldo is at number one on the Mirror list at $260 million, Neymar is 3 with $112 million.
Kylian Mbappe is the highest paid player in European soccer at $110 million when all factors are considered.
