The list of highest earners includes Sergio Busquets, Riqui Puig, and Lionel Messi.
Since the arrival of Lionel Messi, the MLS has attracted significant attention, and older players are considering retiring in the league. The Major League Soccer has released the salaries of its players, and the list of top earners includes several familiar names.
The competition’s financial control allows three players per team to exceed the salary cap. This rule was implemented to encourage the arrival of major stars (franchise players) while keeping the competition as balanced as possible. The ‘franchise player’ concept was introduced with David Beckham’s arrival at LA Galaxy in 2007.
Thus, MLS has published the salary guide for spring-summer 2024. This ranking is calculated through annual base salary and annual guaranteed compensation, according to SPORT.
Luis Suárez and Jordi Alba (Inter Miami)
The former Barcelona players are among the top-paid players in MLS. The current Inter Miami players receive $1.5 million per season.
Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy)
The former FC Barcelona youth player is one of the stars of the competition. The Matadepera native signed with Los Angeles Galaxy for three seasons as one of the team’s three ‘star’ players. The Catalan earns an annual salary of $2.4 million.
Carles Gil (New England Revolution)
The Spanish Carles Gil is also part of this select club. With a salary of $4.4 million per season, he decided to leave Deportivo in 2019 to embark on a new adventure in the exotic league.
Hany Mukhtar (Nashville FC)
Hany Mukhtar, the offensive midfielder for Nashville FC, is a symbol of his team. He has been playing in MLS for four years after leaving Brøndby IF in 2020. He currently earns a salary of $5.2 million.
Héctor Herrera (Houston Dynamo)
The iconic Mexican player is the eighth highest-paid player. The former Atlético Madrid midfielder earns an annual salary of $5.2 million. He left the team coached by Cholo Simeone in 2022 and at 34 years old is one of the highest-paid players in the competition.
Emil Forsberg (New York Red Bulls)
Forsberg joined the New York Red Bulls during the current season. After the tempting offer from the New York team, he did not hesitate to leave Leipzig and at 32 years old enjoys an annual salary of $6 million.
Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC)
After a long stint in Serie A, the former Fiorentina winger left Juventus for Toronto. The Carrara native earns $6.2 million annually.
Sebastián Driussi (Austin FC)
At only 28 years old, he decided to end his European football career and try his luck in the United States. After four years at Zenit, he headed to Austin FC, where he has been playing since 2021. The Argentine earns an annual salary of $6.7 million.
Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire)
The legendary player from teams like Stoke City and Liverpool decided to venture into the MLS after leaving Lyon in 2022. The Swiss winger earns $8.1 million annually.
Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami)
The former Barcelona player joined Inter Miami to accompany Leo Messi in his MLS adventure. The FC Barcelona legend is one of the top three highest-paid players in the competition. The Spaniard earns $8.7 million per season.
Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto FC)
The Napoli legend is the second highest-paid player in MLS. The Italian left the club of his heart in 2022 to join Toronto FC. He earns a staggering $15.4 million per season.
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
As expected, Leo Messi is the highest-paid player in the competition. His arrival in Miami has revolutionized the competition, and he earns a total of $20.4 million.
