Lionel Messi still leads the wage bill in MLS as five teams boast a new winner

The MLS Players Association released it information of the second salary group 2024 on Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Inter Miami ahead Lionel Messi remains the highest paid player in MLS with a guaranteed compensation of $20.4 million – more than the combined guaranteed compensations of 22 separate MLS listings.
• Total (annual) guaranteed compensation for the league’s 910 salary players is $542,566,145 – an average of $596,226 per player – up 12.4% from the 2023 average of $530,262.
• Inter Miami has the highest salary cap in MLS, with a total guaranteed compensation of $41,708,280. CF Montréal has the lowest at $11,438,409
• Five teams have a new winner: Atlanta United (Alexey Miranchuk3.7 million dollars), the Chicago Fire (Hugo Cuypers3.5 million dollars), the LA Galaxy (Riqui Puig4.6 million dollars), Los Angeles FC (Olivier Giroud3.68 million dollars) and The city of St (Marcel Hartel2.2 million dollars).

Top 10 earners in MLS

The top two league winners remain unchanged from 2023 and the first half of 2024.

Messi leads all players with his guaranteed compensation of $20.4 million, while Toronto FC winger Lorenzo Insigne is second with 15.4 million dollars. Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets remains third at $8.8 million, while Xherdan Shaqiri’s summer departure (and his $8.2 million annual take) is a welcome break on the Fire’s wage bill.

Three more players making over $6 million in 2024: Sebastian Driussi e Austin FC ($6.7 million), Federico Bernardeschi of Toronto FC ($6.3 million) and Emil Forsberg THE New York Red Bulls ($6 million).

The rest of the top 10 are Hector Herrera THE Houston Dynamo ($5.2 million), Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC ($5.2 million), and new contracts for Christian Benteke of DC United ($4.7 million) and Riqui Puig of the LA Galaxy ($4.6 million).

How can Miami pay Messi that much on a salary cap?

At $20.4 million, Messi is not only the highest-paid player in MLS, but has paid more than the entire roster of 22 individual teams. How is that possible in a league with limited salaries?

The salary cap in MLS is a mysterious world. For the uninitiated, it’s a mix of a hard cap and budget conditions that have nothing to do with a player’s actual pay. Messi is a designated player and, in terms of the salary cap, his budget fee is only $683,750, the senior maximum.

That’s how much a certain senior player counts against the cap – the same for the CF Montréal midfielder Victor Wanyamadespite his salary being $1.8 million.

The designated player rule was introduced in 2007 to bring David Beckham into the league. Under the rule, a club can pay the DP whatever they want out of pocket, and they hit the fixed cap for seniors. The difference is how much ownership of a particular club is comfortable spending.

At $20.4 million, Messi’s contract carries significant value and is among the most unique deals in MLS history. When he retires, Messi could buy a minority stake in Inter Miami.

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In addition, he will receive additional income through MLS partners. He will receive a share of revenue from new MLS Season Pass subscriptions on Apple TV, while he also has compensation agreements in place from Adidas, his longtime sponsor and MLS kit maker, and Fanatics.

What has changed since the last salary release?

The Chicago Fire have left the ranks of MLS’s five biggest spenders, largely due to the removal of Shaqiri’s wages from their books. Los Angeles FC are now third following the signing of Olivier Giroud, while the Galaxy are close behind in fourth following the rise of Puig and the summer signing of Marco Reus (with a guaranteed annual salary of $1.2 million).

Nashville SC completes the top five, led by Hany Mukhtar’s well-paid trio, Sam Surridge AND Walker Zimmerman. Four of the league’s 10 biggest salary-spenders lost the season after 18 teams: Toronto (2), Nashville (5), New England (8), and Austin FC (10).

Conversely, CF Montréal finished 8th in the East with the league’s lowest salary. Of the 10 lowest salary spenders, seven were in the postseason: Montreal (29), Colorado (27), MINNESOTA (25), Atlanta (24), Portland (23), Charlotte (22) and The real Salt Lake (20).

Giroud is not the highest paid signing of the summer

This summer saw several key signings come to MLS, none more prominent than Giroud. However, he is not the highest paid newcomer to join the league.

The highest paid newcomers

• Aleksey Miranchuk, Atlanta – $3,685,441
• Olivier Giroud, LAFC – $3,675,000
• Stuart ArmstrongVancouver – $2,877,774
• Ezequiel PonceHouston – $2,822,200
• Pep BielCharlotte – $2,214,147

In total, 21 of the 29 teams increased their salary outlays from the spring release to this fall — an understandable trend as teams add players during the European off-season, when free agents can command higher wages than if they were included a transfer fee.

Additional trends and notes

• The median MLS salary is $596,226 in 2024, up 12.4% from $530,262 in 2023.
• In total, the release outlines $542,566,145 in guaranteed compensation for 910 players.
• The 2025 San Diego FC expansion club has two annual player salaries listed: McNair sued ($762,803) and Alex Mighten ($257,292).

(Feature photos: Getty Images)