It’s no surprise World Cup champion Lionel Messi is the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer.
But here are two staggering disparities between Messi and the rest of the league:
Messi, the Inter Miami star, earns more than the entire payrolls for 25 of 29 teams, and $19.8 million more than the league average.
Messi has a base salary of $12 million, but Inter Miami will pay him $20.4 million in guaranteed compensation — $20,446,667 to be exact — for the 2024 MLS season, according to salary data released by the league’s player association on Thursday.
Messi’s reported pay is a portion of a reported $150 million deal he agreed to last summer, which included an ownership stake in Inter Miami when he retires. He also receives separate compensation from partners such as Apple and Adidas.
Inter Miami has two of the top three highest-paid players in MLS: Midfielder Sergio Busquets — one of the team’s four former FC Barcelona standouts — earns $8,774,996 this season. The other two: Luis Suárez, tied for the MLS lead with 11 goals, and Jordi Alba both will make $1.5 million this season.
Inter Miami’s $41.7 million payroll, including base salary and bonuses, is the highest in MLS. Toronto FC ($31.4 million), Chicago Fire ($25.1 million) and Nashville SC ($21.4 million) round out the top four payrolls that exceed Messi’s salary.
Messi earns $5 million more than the second highest-paid player, Toronto FC’s Lorenzo Insigne, an Italian standout who won the 2020 UEFA European football championship. They’re the only two MLS players earning more than $9 million this season.
Seven MLS players make at least $3 million, four players make at least $4 million, two players earn at least $5 million, and three players earn at least $6 million. Busquets is one of two players (Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri of Chicago Fire FC) to make at least $8 million this season.
The average guaranteed compensation for MLS players in 2024 is $594,390.
Here are the top 10 MLS player salaries in 2024:
1. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami): $20.4 million ($12.0 million base salary)
2. Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto FC): $15.4 million ($7.5 million)
3. Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami): $8.8 million ($8.5 million)
4. Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire): $8.2 million ($7.4 million)
5. Sebastián Driussi (Austin FC): $6.7 million ($4.5 million)
6. Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC): $6.3 million ($3.1 million)
7. Emil Forsberg (New York Red Bulls): $6.0 million ($5.4 million)
8. Héctor Herrera (Houston Dynamo): $5.2 million ($4.8 million)
9. Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC): $5.2 million ($3.8 million)
10. Carles Gil (New England Revolution): $4.5 million ($4.0 million)
Here are the MLS team payrolls in 2024:
1. Inter Miami: $41.7 million ($30.9 million in base salary)
2. Toronto FC: $31.4 million ($19.1 million)
3. Chicago Fire: $25.1 million ($23.1 million)
4. Nashville SC: $21.4 million ($18.5 million)
5. FC Cincinnati: $18.7 million ($15.9 million)
6. Austin FC: $18.4 million ($15.1 million)
7. New England Revolution: $18.3 million ($17.1 million)
8. Los Angeles Galaxy: $17.9 million ($16.1 million)
9. New York Red Bulls: $17.1 million ($15.2 million)
10. Houston Dynamo: $16.8 million ($15.1 million)
11. Atlanta United: $16.7 million ($14.3 million)
12. Seattle Sounders: $16.6 million ($15.0 million)
13. New York City FC: $16.5 million ($14.6 million)
14. Colorado Rapids: $16.3 million ($14.7 million)
15. FC Dallas: $16.2 million ($14.4 million)
16. DC United: $16.2 million ($15.0 million)
17. LAFC: $15.9 million ($14.7 million)
18. Sporting Kansas City: $15.9 million ($15.5 million)
19. Portland Timbers: $15.4 million ($13.0 million)
20. Vancouver Whitecaps: $15.2 million ($14.2 million)
21. Columbus Crew: $15.2 million ($13.4 million)
22. Orlando City: $15.1 million ($12.4 million)
23. Minnesota United: $14.9 million ($13.1 million)
24. Philadelphia Union: $14.8 million ($13.1 million)
25. Charlotte FC: $14.5 million ($13.4 million)
26. San Jose Earthquakes: $13.6 million ($12.5 million)
27. Real Salt Lake: $13.6 million ($12.4 million)
28. CF Montreal: $12.0 million ($10.8 million)
29. St. Louis City: $12.0 million ($10.8 million)