Messi salary tops MLS. Here is the full Inter Miami salary list, top to bottom
Lionel Messi is expected to sign a contract extension soon that would keep him on the Inter Miami roster at least through next season.
Negotiations have been going on for months, and club ownership is eager to get a deal done and ensure that the Argentine icon will be on the field for the opening of Miami Freedom Park in early 2026.
Messi’s contract expires at the end of this year. The total package over his two-and-a-half-year current contract is valued at $150 million, which includes equity in the club upon his retirement.
According to the latest league salary guide from the MLS Players Association, which was released on Wednesday, Messi will make $20,446,667 in guaranteed compensation this year with a base salary of $12 million.
The salary figures reported do not include Messi’s major sponsorship deals with Apple TV, adidas, Anheuser-Busch, Hard Rock International and dozens of other companies.
It is no surprise that Messi and his former FC Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez are the four highest-paid players on the Inter Miami roster. Busquets’ guaranteed compensation is $8.8 million, followed by Alba at $6 million and Suarez at $1.5 million. Tadeo Allende is the next-highest at $1 million.
The lowest-paid regular Inter Miami starters are Noah Allen at $126,667 and Yannick Bright at $83,647.
Behind Messi on the top 10 MLS salaries: Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto FC, $15.4 million), Busquets (Inter Miami, $8.8 million), Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United, $7.8 million), Hirving Lozano (San Diego, $7.6 million), Federico Bernandeschi (Toronto FC, $6.3 million), Emil Forsberg (New York Red Bulls, $6 million), Ricky Puig (LA Galaxy, $5.8 million), Jonathan Bamba (Chicago Fire, $5.6 million), Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC, $5.3 million).
Inter Miami has the league’s highest payroll at $46.84 million, followed by Toronto FC at $34.13 million and Atlanta United at $27.63 million.
The lowest spending team is CF Montreal ($11.99 million), Eastern Conference leader Philadelphia Union at $13.37 million, Real Salt Lake at $13.41 million, and Minnesota United at $13.8 million.
Here are the salaries of all the Inter Miami players (Highest to Lowest by base salary). 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
Jordi Alba (left back) Base Salary: $6,000,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $6,000,000
Luis Suarez (center forward) Base Salary: $1,500,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $1,500,000
Tadeo Allende (winger) Base Salary: $1 million, Guaranteed Compensation: $1 million
David Martinez (center back) Base Salary: $700,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $839,000
Federico Redondo (defensive midfield) Base Salary: $732,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $837,000
Gonzalo Lujan (center back) Base Salary: $526,500, Guaranteed Compensation: $818,250
Oscar Ustari (goalkeeper) Base Salary: $696,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $744,000
Marcelo Weigandt (right back) Base Salary: $500,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $734,708
Fafa Picault (winger) Base Salary: $600,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $642,000
Allen Obando (forward) Base Salary: $500,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $527,885
Maxi Falcon (center back) Base Salary: $450,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $524,250
Benja Cremaschi (central midfielder) Base Salary: 400,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $502,500
Tomás Avilés (center back) Base Salary: $439,992, Guaranteed Compensation: $467,492
Baltasar Rodriguez (midfielder) Base Salary: $440,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $440,000
Drake Callender (goalkeeper) Base Salary: $399,996, Guaranteed Compensation: $455,913
Telasco Segovia (midfielder) Base Salary: $300,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $335,000
Ian Fray (center back) Base Salary: $150,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $150,000
Will Yarbrough (goalkeeper) Base Salary: $150,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $150,000
Rocco Rios Novo (goalkeeper) Base Salary: $104,000, Guaranteed Compensation $122,866
Santiago Morales (attacking midfielder) Base Salary: $104,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $112,333
Israel Boatwright (right back) Base Salary: $104,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $106,000
Noah Allen (left back) Base Salary: $125,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $126,667
David Ruiz (midfielder) Base Salary: $104,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $106,000
Tyler Hall (center back) Base Salary: $104,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $104,000
Ryan Sailor (center back) Base Salary: $104,000, Guaranteed Compensation: $104,000
Yannick Bright (midfielder) Base Salary: $80,622, Guaranteed Compensation: $83,647
Leo Afonso (center forward) Base Salary: $80,622, Guaranteed Compensation: $80,622
This story was originally published June 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM.