Lionel Messi’s annual salary from his MLS contract with Inter Miami is just over $20.4 million in his first full season, which is more than the payroll of all but four teams in the league.
Messi joined Inter Miami last summer and has a base salary of $10.4 million and annual compensation of $20,446,667, the MLS Players Association said Thursday. in the first salary release of 2024.
These figures refer to the amount Messi will receive from his MLS deal, which runs through the 2025 season, including any marketing bonuses and agent fees. They do not take into account any additional agreements with the team or its subsidiaries, or any performance bonuses. Furthermore, Forbes estimated Messi’s income from endorsements $70 million last year.
Messi’s teammates include Sergio Busquets ($8.8 million), Luis Suárez and left back Jordi Alba ($1.5 million each).
Messi, who turns 37 next month, has scored 10 goals this season, one shy of the MLS leader.
Miami leads the league with a payroll of $41.7 million, double that of all but Toronto ($31.4 million) and Chicago Fire ($25.1 million). Nashville’s roster also earns more than Messi at $21.4 million. St. Louis has the lowest payroll of the 29 teams at $12 million, just below Salt Lake and San Jose at $13.6 million each.
The LA Galaxy cut its payroll from $23.5 million early last year to $17.9 million and Atlanta from $21.3 million to $16.7 million. Toronto increased the league’s payroll from $25.7 million by the 2023 opener, and Nashville increased from $14 million.
Toronto winger Lorenzo Insigne is second in compensation with $15.4 million, followed by Busquets, Chicago midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri with $8.2 million, Austin midfielder Sebastián Driussi with $6.7 million, Toronto winger Federico Bernardeschi with $6.3 million and New York Red Bulls midfielder Emil Forsberg with $6 million. .
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The average base salary of $513,075 for senior roster players, excluding designated players who count only partially under a team’s salary cap, was 8.4% higher than $473,292 at the start of last year. Total guaranteed compensation averaged $594,389.
Total compensation for all signed players was $519 million, up 12.8% from $460 million at the start of last season and $394 million at the start of 2022.
Among the US national team players, Nashville defender Walker Zimmerman received total compensation of $3.5 million, Dallas forward Jesús Ferreira $2.2 million, Seattle winger Jordan Morris $1.7 million, Colorado midfielder Djordje Mihailovic $1, 7 million, Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson $1.6 million, Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan $1.5 million. m and right back DeAndre Yedlin of Cincinnati $898,750.