Messi tops MLS salary list ($20.5 million). Here is full Inter Miami list, top to bottom
Lionel Messi is, by far, the highest paid player in Major League Soccer for the second year in a row.
The MLS Players Association on Thursday released its 2024 Salary Guide for all the players in the league as of April 25, and Messi tops the list at a league-record $12 million annual base salary with guaranteed annual compensation of $20,446,667.
Messi’s total package with Inter Miami over his 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 major sponsorship deals with Apple TV, adidas, Anheuser Busch, and dozens of other companies.
The four former FC Barcelona teammates Messi, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba are the four highest-paid players on the Inter Miami roster, in that order.
The only other Miami player with a base salary of more than $1 million is Julian Gressel.
The biggest bargain on the team is midfielder Benja Cremaschi, the 19-year-old from Key Biscayne, who has started 23 games, including the past two, and makes $104,716.
Behind Messi on the Top 10 MLS salaries: Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto FC, $15.4 million), Busquets (Inter Miami, $8.8 million), Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire, $8.2 million), Sebastian Driussi (Austin FC, $6.7 million), Federico Bernandeschi (Toronto FC, $6.3 million), Emil Forsberg (New York Red Bulls, $6 million), Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo, $5.2 million), Hany Mukktar (Nashville SC, $5.2 million), Carles Gil (New England Revolution, $4.5 million).
Here are the salaries of all the Inter Miami players (Highest to Lowest). The Guaranteed Compensation includes signing bonuses and other guaranteed payments averaged over the length of the contract:
Lionel Messi (Right Wing) Base Salary: $12,000,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $20,446,667
Sergio Busquets (Defensive Midfielder) Base Salary: $8,499,996, Guaranteed Compensation: $8,774,996
Luis Suarez (Center Forward) Base Salary: $1,500,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $1,500,000
Jordi Alba (Left Back) Base Salary: $1,250,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $1,500,000
Julian Gressel (Right Midfielder) Base Salary: $1,092,069, Guaranteed Compensation: $1,092,069
Sergiy Kryvtsov (Center Back) Base Salary: $750,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $809,000
Facundo Farías (Attacking Midfielder) Base Salary: $650,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $675,000
Leonardo Campana (Center Forward) Base Salary: $600,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $722,333
Diego Gómez (Central Midfielder) Base Salary: $500,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $504,167
Nicolás Freire (Center Back) Base Salary: $400,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $1,000,000
Tomás Avilés (Center Back) Base Salary: $384,996, Guaranteed Compensation: $412,496
Drake Callender (Goalkeeper) Base Salary: $349,992, Guaranteed Compensation: $405,909
Emerson Rodríguez (Right Wing) Base Salary: $345,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $380,700
Robert Taylor (Left Wing) Base Salary: $300,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $326,900
Franco Negri (Left Back) Base Salary: $250,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $342,500
Robbie Robinson (Left Wing) Base Salary: $250,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $262,000
Matías Rojas (Attacking Midfielder) Base Salary: $150,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $516,667
Marcelo Weigandt (Right Back) Base Salary: $150,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $384,708
Federico Redondo (Defensive Midfield) Base Salary: $150,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $255,000
Ian Fray (Center back) Base Salary: $125,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $125,000
Edison Azcona (Left Wing) Base Salary: $110,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $110,000
Benja Cremaschi (Central Midfielder) Base Salary: $104,716, Guaranteed Compensation: $106,716
CJ dos Santos (Goalkeeper) Base Salary: $89,716, Guaranteed Compensation: $95,016
Noah Allen (Left back) Base Salary: $89,716, Guaranteed Compensation: $91,383
Felipe Valencia (Right wing) Base Salary: $89,716, Guaranteed Compensation: $89,716
Ryan Sailor (Center Back) Base Salary: $89,716, Guaranteed Compensation: $89,716
Santiago Morales (Attacking Midfielder) Base Salary: $71,401, Guaranteed Compensation: $79,734
Yannick Bright (Right Back) Base Salary: $71,401, Guaranteed Compensation: $74,426
Shanyder Borgelin (Center Forward) Base Salary: $71,401, Guaranteed Compensation: $73,901
Israel Boatwright (Right back) Base Salary: $71,401, Guaranteed Compensation: $73,401
David Ochoa (Defensive Midfielder) Base Salary: $71,401, Guaranteed Compensation: $73,401
Leo Afonso (Center Forward) Base Salary: $71,401, Guaranteed Compensation: $71,401
Tyler Hall (Center Back) Base Salary: $71,401, Guaranteed Compensation: $71,401
Lawson Sunderland (Central Midfield) Base Salary: $71,401, Guaranteed Compensation: $71,401
Cole Jensen (Goalkeeper) Base Salary: $71,401, Guaranteed Compensation: $71,401