Overview
- Lionel Messi, in the MLS Players Association salary guide released Tuesday, is listed at a $25 million base and $28.33 million guaranteed, more than double LAFC’s Son Heung-min.
- Inter Miami carries the league’s largest payroll at $54.6 million, outpacing LAFC at $32.7 million and far exceeding Philadelphia’s league-low $11.7 million.
- Across MLS, total player compensation is $631 million with average guaranteed pay of $688,816, an 8.9% rise from the fall snapshot.
- The MLSPA’s “guaranteed compensation” covers base salary plus annualized marketing bonuses and agent fees, but it excludes endorsements, ownership stakes, and performance bonuses, which Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas has said lift Messi’s annual take to about $70–$80 million.
- On the field, Messi has 59 goals in 64 MLS regular-season games for Miami and won back-to-back MVP awards after leading the club to the 2025 MLS Cup.