Lionel Messi’s superstar status is based not only on his performances and numbers with Inter Miami, but also on his massive salary in Major League Soccer. There, the Argentine forward holds a clear advantage over other global stars such as Son Heung-min and Thomas Muller.
This Tuesday, the MLS Players Association published the 2026 Salary Guide on its official website, a report detailing the earnings of every player in the league as of April 16 of this year. Messi sits at the top of the rankings with total annual compensation of $28.3 million.
That figure is made up of two components. First, Leo earns a base salary of $25 million. Added to that is extra compensation that “includes any marketing bonus and any agent’s fees, both annualized over the term of the contract.” That formula determines the Average Annual Guaranteed Compensation, which does not include performance bonuses or other agreements and compensation.
To put Messi’s financial dominance in perspective, his total earnings exceed the entire wage bill of 28 of the 30 MLS clubs. Inter Miami, naturally, are one of the two exceptions, with LAFC being the other.
Highest salaries in MLS
In addition to having Lionel Messi at the top of the rankings, Inter Miami also have another player inside the top three highest salaries in MLS. Rodrigo De Paul ranks third with an Average Annual Guaranteed Compensation of $9.6 million.
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Second place belongs to Son Heung-min, who earns approximately $11.1 million per year with LAFC. While that is still an impressive figure, it represents just over one-third of Messi’s earnings, highlighting the Argentine forward’s financial edge at the top.
Thomas Muller, another of MLS’s marquee stars, sits much lower in the rankings. The German forward is 12th on the list with an Average Annual Guaranteed Compensation of $5.1 million with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The highest-paid players in MLS:
1- Lionel Messi – Inter Miami – $28.3 million
2- Son Heung-min – LAFC – $11.1 million
3- Rodrigo De Paul – Inter Miami – $9.6 million
4- Hirving Lozano – San Diego FC – $9.3 million
5- Miguel Almiron – Atlanta United – $7.9 million
6- Emil Forsberg – New York Red Bulls – $6 million
7- Sam Surridge – Nashville SC – $5.9 million
8- Riqui Puig – LA Galaxy – $5.8 million
9- Jonathan Bamba – Chicago Fire – $5.6 million
10- Hany Mukhtar – Nashville SC – $5.4 million
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Top spending teams in MLS
Based on the information released by the MLS Players Association, it is also possible to identify the teams currently spending the most on player salaries. Inter Miami, unsurprisingly, lead the league with a total wage bill of $54.6 million, followed by LAFC in second place ($32.7 million) and Atlanta United in third ($27.9 million).
