Lionel Messi, Inter Miami lead way as MLS salaries rise

Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team continue to lead the way as the average MLS salary rose 9.7%, according to the latest MLS player salary data released by the MLS Players Association (MLSPA) Thursday.

Messi, who is under contract through the end of 2025, has an annual guaranteed compensation of $20.4 million, factoring in only the Argentina forward’s salary. Previously, Miami co-owner Jorge Mas has said that Messi’s total compensation, which includes a cut from the league’s Apple TV deal, was in the $50 million to $60 million range.

Messi’s total compensation was more than the entire payrolls of 22 other MLS teams.

Miami won the Supporters’ Shield for the first time this year and set an MLS record for most points in the regular season with 74 after Messi’s 11-minute hat trick inspired the team to a 6-2 win over the New England Revolution on Saturday.

The team’s point total was aided in part by a record spend of $41.7 million. That is more than double the amount spent by 23 of the league’s 29 teams.

The average outlay per team was $18.41 million, with the median settling in at $16.68 million. Spending big was by no means a guarantee of success, however. Of the 10 highest-spending teams, four missed the MLS Cup playoffs.

The top five salary-earners were rounded out by Toronto FC’s Lorenzo Insigne at $15.4 million, Miami’s Sergio Busquets at $8.77 million, Austin FC’s Sebastián Driussi at $6.7 million and Toronto’s Federico Bernardeschi at $6.3 million.

French World Cup winner Olivier Giroud has $3.7 million annualized total compensation under the contract he signed to join LAFC in July.

All data is as of Sept. 13, 2024. The salary data was annualized for players who arrived during the summer transfer window.

The average guaranteed base compensation for the entire MLS player pool — which included pool players, retired players still owed money and a pair from next year’s expansion side, San Diego FC — continues to climb on an annual basis, rising to $596,226 up 9.7% from the September 2023 mark of $543,207.

The salaries of players at the bottom of the wage scale continue to improve, as the league’s median guaranteed base compensation was $308,375, up 9.3% from last year’s figure of $282,125.

MLS and the MLSPA are in the fourth year of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that was agreed upon in February 2021. The CBA runs through the end of the 2027 season.

In terms of team payroll based on guaranteed base compensation, Toronto FC ranked second behind Miami at $31.81 million, followed by LAFC (22.08 million), LA Galaxy ($21.96 million) and Nashville SC ($21.86 million).

CF Montreal had the lowest payroll at $11.43 million, followed by the Philadelphia Union ($13.81 million), the Colorado Rapids ($13.44 million), the San Jose Earthquakes ($14.63 million) and Minnesota United (14.77 million).

Other notable players who joined MLS during the summer transfer window included Houston forward Ezequiel Ponce ($2.8 million total compensation), St. Louis midfielder Marcel Hartel ($2.2 million), Atlanta midfielder Alexey Miranchuk ($3.7 million), Salt Lake midfielder Diogo Gonçalves ($1.8 million), LA Galaxy midfielder Marco Reus ($1.2 million), Minnesota forward Kelvin Yeboah ($1.2 million), New York Red Bulls midfielder Felipe Carballo Ares ($1.2 million), Cincinnati defender Chidozie Awaziem ($1.2 million) and Austin winger Osman Bukari ($1 million).

Total spend per team:

1. Inter Miami – $41.7 million

2. Toronto FC – $31.81 million

3. LAFC – $22.08 million

4. LA Galaxy – $21.96 million

5. Nashville SC – $21.86 million

6. FC Cincinnati – $20.95 million

7. Houston Dynamo – $20.52 million

8. New England Revolution – $18.88 million

9. New York Red Bulls – $18.08 million

10. Austin FC – $17.60 million

11. Orlando City – $17.49 million

12. Vancouver Whitecaps – $17.41 million

13. Chicago Fire – $17.22 million

14. FC Dallas – $17.19 million

15. Seattle Sounders – $16.68 million

16. Columbus Crew – $16.57 million

17. DC United – $16.49 million

18. Sporting Kansas City – $16.31 million

19. New York City FC – $16.24 million

20. Real Salt Lake – $16.07 million

21. St. Louis City SC – $15.48 million

22. Charlotte FC – $15.47 million

23. Portland Timbers – $15.41 million

24. Atlanta United – $15.23 million

25. Minnesota United – $14.77 million

26. San Jose Earthquakes – $14.63 million

27. Colorado Rapids – $14.44 million

28. Philadelphia Union – $13.81 million

29. CF Montreal – $11.43 million

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.