NEW YORK (AP) — Lionel Messi more than doubled his salary to $25 million in his new contract with Inter Miami, earning more than twice what the league’s second-highest-paid player, Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC, makes.
The new Messi deal includes $25 million base salary and $28,333,333 in guaranteed compensation, MLS Players Association said on Tuesday in its first 2026 salary publication. He earns more than the payrolls of 28 of the league’s other 29 teams.
Miami’s payroll, $54.6 million, is more than $20 million higher than LAFC’s, which is second at $32.7 million, and nearly five times Philadelphia’s, the league’s lowest at $11.7 million. Miami’s payroll had risen from $46.8 million at the start of last season.
Toronto trimmed its payroll to $21.4 million from $34.1 million at the start of 2025, and LAFC increased its spending to $32.7 million from $22.4 million.
The league’s total compensation was $631 million, and the average guaranteed compensation of $688,816 as of April 16 rose 8.9% from $632,809 on Oct. 1 last year.
Messi’s initial MLS contract, agreed in July 2023, included a base salary of $12 million and an annualized guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667. Messi agreed last October to a three-year deal through the 2028 season, and then led the team to its first MLS title.
Messi, who will turn 39 next month and captains the reigning world champion Argentina national team, is expected to play his sixth World Cup. Messi has 59 goals in 64 regular-season games with Miami, including nine in 11 appearances this season. He led MLS with 29 regular-season goals last season and won his second consecutive MVP award.
His salary figures reflect his MLS contract and include any marketing bonuses and agent fees, but do not include additional deals with the team or its affiliates, or performance bonuses.
Son Heung-min follows with a $10,368,750 base salary and $11,152,852 in total compensation, the same figures as last season. The 33-year-old winger joined LAFC last August.
Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, who signed with Miami last summer, is third with a $7,569,000 salary and $9,688,320 in total compensation, followed by Atlanta winger Miguel Almirón (Paraguayan) with $6,056,000 salary and $7,871,000 total compensation; Mexican winger Hirving Lozano of San Diego at $6,000,000 salary and $9,333,333 total; New York Red Bulls winger Emil Forsberg at $5,405,000 salary and $6,035,625 total; Nashville forward Sam Surridge at $5,270,000 salary and $5,933,000 total; LA Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig at $5,125,000 salary and $5,792,188 total; Vancouver forward Thomas Müller at $5,000,004 salary and $5,152,504 total; Chicago winger Jonathan Bamba at $5,000,000 salary and $5,581,806 total.
MLS’s average salary rose 4.1% to $352,104 from $338,347 last fall. There were 133 players earning $1 million or more, up from 131 at the start of last season and 91 at the start of 2022.
