Lionel Messi, Inter Miami’s star forward, remains Major League Soccer’s (MLS) highest-paid player, earning a guaranteed $20.4 million—exceeding the combined payrolls of 22 MLS teams.
The league’s total annualised guaranteed compensation for 910 players reached $542.6 million, averaging $596,226 per player, a 12.4% increase from last season’s $530,262.
Messi’s earnings equate to more than $1 million per game across his 19 appearances, some as a substitute. Beyond his salary, Messi’s financial impact extends widely, with his total earnings projected at close to $150 million annually due to revenue shares from Adidas kit sales and Apple TV streaming subscriptions.
Toronto FC’s Lorenzo Insigne ranks as the league’s second-highest-paid player at $15.4 million, while no other player earns above $10 million in the 2024 season. Salary data from the MLS Players Association shows that 22 players earn over $3 million in guaranteed compensation, and 47 players earn above $2 million.
Of the 910 professionals listed, 126 earn $1 million or more, while the league’s base salary is $71,401, with 75 players at that minimum. Though most players have specific positions listed, some, like Toronto’s Charlie Sharp and Vancouver’s Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau, have roles defined simply as “substitute.”
Inter Miami leads MLS in player expenditure with a total of $41.7 million, while CF Montréal has the league’s lowest payroll at $11.4 million. Messi’s contract, reportedly valued above $100 million with additional income from his Adidas and Apple TV partnerships, may also include an ownership stake in Inter Miami, echoing David Beckham’s historic arrangement.
Top Earners Across MLS Teams
This season also sees five teams with new top earners: Atlanta United (Aleksey Miranchuk, $3.7 million), Chicago Fire (Hugo Cuypers, $3.5 million), LA Galaxy (Riqui Puig, $4.6 million), Los Angeles FC (Olivier Giroud, $3.68 million), and St. Louis City (Marcel Hartel, $2.2 million).
Messi leads the top earners, followed by Insigne at $15.4 million, and Miami’s Sergio Busquets at $8.8 million. Other high earners include Austin FC’s Sebastián Driussi ($6.7 million), Toronto’s Federico Bernardeschi ($6.3 million), and Emil Forsberg of the New York Red Bulls ($6 million). The top ten list is rounded out by Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo) and Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC) at $5.2 million, D.C. United’s Christian Benteke ($4.7 million), and LA Galaxy’s Riqui Puig ($4.6 million).
How Can Miami Pay Messi So Much Under a Salary Cap?
With Messi’s $20.4 million salary eclipsing even entire team payrolls, how can Inter Miami manage this under MLS’s salary cap? The answer lies in his status as a “Designated Player” (DP), a designation that caps his salary impact at $683,750, the league’s set maximum for senior players. The DP rule, introduced in 2007 to bring Beckham to MLS, allows teams to pay certain stars outside the cap, limited only by what club ownership is willing to invest.
Messi’s contract, known for its escalators and unique clauses, may also include a post-retirement ownership stake in Inter Miami, highlighting his deep influence on the league’s future. This innovative compensation approach underscores MLS’s commitment to attracting global stars and expanding soccer’s presence across the U.S.
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