Messi tops 2024 salary list; earns more than 21 MLS teams’ entire payrolls
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New York: Lionel Messi remains the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer for the third consecutive year, with total annual compensation reaching $20,446,667—surpassing the entire payrolls of 21 other teams in the league.
According to figures released Wednesday by the Major League Soccer Players Association, Messi's base salary is $12 million. The total compensation figure includes marketing bonuses and agent fees as per his current MLS contract, which runs through the 2025 season. However, it does not account for any separate deals with his club Inter Miami or its affiliates, nor does it include performance-based bonuses.
Inter Miami, with Messi on its roster, currently leads the league in total payroll with $46.8 million as of May 23, an increase from $41.7 million at the end of last season. Miami’s wage bill is nearly double that of any other team in the league except for Toronto ($34.1 million) and Atlanta ($27.6 million).
Other top spenders include FC Cincinnati ($23.2 million), reigning champions LA Galaxy ($22.9 million), Los Angeles FC ($22.4 million), and Chicago Fire ($22.1 million). Meanwhile, expansion club San Diego stands 10th with a payroll of $20 million.
Montreal ranks at the bottom of the 30-team league with a payroll just under $12 million. Philadelphia Union follows at $13.4 million.
Trailing Messi in total compensation is Toronto FC winger Lorenzo Insigne, earning -$15.4 million. He is followed by Messi's Inter Miami teammate Sergio Busquets ($8,774,996), Atlanta’s Miguel Almirón ($7,871,000), San Diego’s Hirving “Chucky” Lozano ($7,633,333), Toronto’s Federico Bernardeschi ($6,295,381), New York Red Bulls’ Emil Forsberg ($6,023,625), and Miami’s Jordi Alba ($6 million).
Rounding out the top earners are LA Galaxy’s Riqui Puig ($5,779,688), Chicago’s Jonathan Bamba ($5,581,806), and Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar ($5,311,667). In total, 11 players in the league are earning $5 million or more, an increase from nine players at the beginning of last season. Meanwhile, 50 players now earn $2 million or more, up from 44, and 131 players earn at least $1 million, up from 115 in 2023.
Overall, the total compensation for the league’s 902 signed players reached $586 million, marking a 12.9% rise from $519 million at the start of 2024, a 27.4% increase from $460 million in 2023, and a 48.7% rise from $394 million in 2022.
Notable newcomers to the list include Atlanta’s Emmanuel Latte Lath ($4,030,546), Cincinnati’s Kévin Denkey ($3.81 million), Charlotte’s Wilfried Zaha ($2,751,667), and New York Red Bulls’ Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting ($3,530,667). Also featured are LAFC’s Olivier Giroud at $3,675,000 and Portland’s David Da Costa at $3,425,000.
Among American national team players, Nashville defender Walker Zimmerman earns $3,456,979. Seattle Sounders winger Jordan Morris is at $2.26 million, while FC Dallas forward Jesús Ferreira takes home $1,828,960. Others include Colorado’s Djordje Mihailovic ($1,775,000), Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson ($1,650,171), Seattle’s Cristian Roldán ($1,666,000), San Diego’s Luca de la Torre ($1,535,331), Charlotte’s Tim Ream ($1,127,750), Colorado’s goalkeeper Zack Steffen ($1 million), Cincinnati’s DeAndre Yedlin ($948,750), and Colorado’s Reggie Cannon ($841,500).
Among Gold Cup contributors, Charlotte’s Patrick Agyemang, who has scored three goals in the tournament for the U.S., earns $104,000. Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna is on $499,833, New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese earns $420,000, and Orlando City defender Alex Freeman receives $108,000.
With PTI inputs
