Lionel Messi remains top MLS earner with salary of £18.5m

Lionel Messi has retained his position as the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer with an annual base salary of $25m (£18.5m), more than double that of the North American league’s next-highest earner.

Figures released by the MLS Players Association reflect the contract extension that Messi, who turns 39 next month, signed with Inter Miami in October.

The Argentina forward’s base salary has doubled, while overall the deal is worth $28.3m (£20.9m) in guaranteed compensation.

LAFC’s Son Heung-min is the second-highest earner on a base of $10.4m (£7.7m), with $11.2m (£8.3m) guaranteed.

The former Tottenham forward, 33, earns slightly more than Inter Miami’s Rodrigo de Paul and San Diego FC’s Hirving Lozano.

The salaries do not include income from endorsement deals, or Messi’s option to acquire a stake in Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham.

Messi joined the Florida franchise in 2023 and has scored 59 goals in 64 regular-season MLS games, helping Miami win the MLS Cup in 2025.

He led the league with 29 goals last season and has been the Most Valuable Player in each of the two full MLS seasons he has played so far – 2004 and 2005.