Lionel Messi continues to be the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer (MLS) with an annual base salary of $25 million, more than double that of the second-ranked player, Son Heung-min, according to figures released by the MLS Players Association on March 18.
According to the numbers published Tuesday (local time), Messi's base salary has doubled, and his total guaranteed compensation reaches $28.3 million per year. This figure does not include income from advertising deals or any equity he may receive at Inter Miami — the club co-owned by David Beckham, which Messi joined in 2023.
The union's latest salary list reflects the contract extension Messi signed with Inter Miami in October 2024, keeping him at the Florida club through the 2028 season.
South Korean star Son Heung-min, former Tottenham captain, signed with LAFC last August for a record MLS transfer fee of $26 million. Son has a base salary of $10.36 million and total guaranteed compensation of $11.2 million.
At age 38, Messi is set to lead Argentina in defending their World Cup title starting next month. In MLS, he has scored 59 goals in 64 regular-season matches, leading the league with 29 goals last season and winning MVP honors for the second consecutive year.
Rodrigo De Paul, Messi's teammate at both Inter Miami and the Argentine national team, ranks third on the list with guaranteed compensation of $9.7 million. Mexican player Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano is fourth with $9.3 million, despite not playing for San Diego since November 2024. Atlanta's Miguel Almiron rounds out the top five with $7.9 million in guaranteed compensation.
With a total payroll of $54.6 million, Inter Miami exceeds LAFC ($32.7 million) by over $20 million and is nearly five times higher than the league's lowest-spending team, Philadelphia ($11.7 million). Miami's payroll has increased from $46.8 million at the start of last season.
The league's total salary is recorded at $631 million, with an average guaranteed compensation of $688,816 — an 8.9% increase from the October 2024 figure.
