Messi’s Inter Miami salary ($20 million guaranteed) tops MLS. Here’s full team payroll
It is no secret that Lionel Messi is the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, but his actual salary was unknown until now.
The MLS Players Association on Wednesday released its updated 2023 salary guide for all the players in the league as of Sept. 15, and Messi is listed at $12 million annual base salary with guaranteed annual compensation of $20,446,667, which includes guaranteed bonuses.
Those numbers are annualized by the MLSPA, and Messi did not join the league until July, with two-thirds of the league season already played, so his actual compensation for 2023 would be closer to half of the listed annual amount.
Messi’s total package with Inter Miami over the two and a half year contract is valued at $150 million, which includes equity in the club upon his retirement. The salary figures reported do not include Messi’s sponsorship deals with Apple TV, adidas, and other companies.
The second-highest paid player in the league is Lorenzo Insigne of Toronto with a $7.5 million base salary and guaranteed compensation of $15.4 million. Chicago’s Xherdan Shaqiri is third on the list at $7.35 base salary and $8.15 million guaranteed compensation. The L.A. Galaxy’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez makes $6 million base salary and $7.4 guaranteed compensation.
Midfielder Sergio Busquets, who joined Inter Miami in July, has an annual base salary of $1.5 million for 2023 with guaranteed compensation of $1.77 million. Left back Jordi Alba, the third of the former FC Barcelona player to sign in the summer, has an annual base salary of $1 million with guaranteed compensation of $1.25 million.
The base salaries of the three young rising talents who signed with Miami over the summer through the league’s U-22 initiative are: Tomas Aviles ($360,000), Facundo Farias ($500,000), and Diego Gomez ($500,000).
Before the summer roster additions, forward Josef Martinez was the highest-paid Inter Miami player with a base salary of $4 million and $4.39 million including guaranteed bonuses. Martinez, a former MLS MVP with Atlanta, joined Miami this season after Atlanta bought out his contract and released him. Atlanta covered approximately two thirds of his salary and Miami is covering the rest.
The rest of the Inter Miami base salary list, in order:
Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, who is on loan in Argentina with River Plate ($935,004), DeAndre Yedlin ($825,000), Jean Mota ($750,000), Gregore ($725,000), Coco Jan ($720,000), Sergiy Kryvstov ($555,500), Leo Campana ($549,996), Nick Marsman ($474,996), Nico Stefanelli ($400,000), Kamal Miller ($375,000), Emerson Rodriguez on loan in Mexico with Santos Laguna ($330,000).
Drake Callender ($300,000), Robert Taylor ($276,000), Victor Ulloa ($250,000), Franco Negri ($225,000), Christopher McVey ($219,000), Robbie Robinson ($200,000), Dixon Arroyo ($150,000), Ian Fray ($110,000).
Edison Azcona ($85,444), Jake LaCava ($85,444), Ryan Sailor ($85,444), Felipe Valencia ($85,444), Noah Allen ($67,360), Shanyder Borgelin ($67,360), Benjamin Cremaschi ($67,360), CJ Dos Santos ($67,360), Cole Jensen ($67,360), Harvey Neville ($67,360), Santiago Morales ($67,360), David Ochoa ($67,360), Lawson Sunderland ($67,360)
This story was originally published October 18, 2023 at 1:00 PM.
