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Sports
Lionel Messi leads MLS player salaries at $28.3 million per year, with only Heung-min Son exceeding $10 million.
Lionel Messi has claimed the top spot on Major League Soccer's salary list for the 2026 season, pulling in $28.3 million annually from Inter Miami. The figure, released by the MLS Players Association, leaves the Argentine star far ahead of the rest of the league's highest earners.
South Korean forward Heung-min Son of Los Angeles FC ranks second at $11.1 million per year, making him the only other player in the competition to cross the $10 million threshold, according to a post from B/R Football on X.
Inter Miami's total payroll stands at $54.6 million — the highest in the league and well above second-place Los Angeles FC's $32.7 million total. The numbers underscore the scale of investment the club has made since Messi arrived in the United States in 2023.
Messi is not the only big earner at Inter Miami. Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul receives approximately $9.7 million per year, while Germán Berterame, Sergio Reguilón, Facundo Mora, and Tadeo Allende each earn salaries exceeding $1 million annually.
The club's on-field investment has paid off. Messi led Inter Miami to its first-ever league title in the 2025 season, scoring 29 goals and providing 19 assists in a standout campaign. He has continued his form this season with 9 goals and 4 assists in the first 12 matches, helping the team sit third in the Eastern Conference with 22 points.
French newspaper L'Équipe reported that while Messi's current salary is the highest in MLS history, his actual income is much larger. Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas has revealed that the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner earns between $70 million and $80 million annually when commercial sponsorship deals and media revenue agreements are factored in.
Messi extended his contract with Inter Miami through 2028, continuing a project that has transformed the league's global profile — technically, commercially, and in terms of fan engagement.
Despite his massive impact, some US reports indicate that Messi's presence alone was not enough to fully secure the league's broadcast service, leading authorities to renegotiate and shorten the original media rights agreement.
Messi's current salary remains far below his peak European earnings. At Barcelona, his annual income exceeded €100 million, while at Paris Saint-Germain he earned approximately €30 million net per season.
German veteran Thomas Müller, now playing for Vancouver, also features on the high-salary list with an annual wage exceeding €4.35 million, continuing MLS's trend of attracting top global football stars.
