Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world with some of the highest-paid athletes. Major League Soccer hasn’t had the highest-paid players historically, but it’s catching up to other leagues worldwide.
Lionel Messi earns $12 million to remain the highest-paid MLS player.
The Argentine superstar made his grand entrance onto the MLS stage last Summer. Inter Miami and MLS haven’t looked back since, scoring record attendance and revenue since Messi’s arrival.
Messi’s teammate at Inter Miami, Sergio Busquets, earns $8.5 million for second. The former Barcelona player signed a 2-year, $17 million deal a day after Messi.
He earned only $1.5 million in his first season, but that jumped up to $8.5 million this year. However, the defensive midfielder is still earning less than he had when he was making over $26 million a year in his heyday with Barcelona.
Rounding out the top 25, Walker Zimmerman is a unicorn among the highest-paid MLS players. He’s the only American to feature among the highest-paid, earning $3.2 million, and the only defender.
The 31-year-old central defender was earning $975K before he signed an extension in 2022 with Nashville SC. Zimmerman has earned $11.2 million in his career, starting in Dallas in 2013 where he earned $75K in his first season.
Including Zimmerman, only four players among the highest-paid are not forwards. Hector Herrera, a midfielder for the Dynamo, earns $4.75 million making him the second among midfielders.
Herrera played in Europe for nine seasons, earning as much as $6.54 million a season with Atletico Madrid from 2019-2022.
Ranking the Highest Paid Major League Soccer Players
Here is the list of the top 25 highest-paid MLS players, based on data from Capology.
- Updated: December 18, 2024
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | Total Compensation |
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Forward | Inter Miami | $12 million |
| 2 | Sergio Busquets | Midfielder | Inter Miami | $8.5 million |
| 3 | Lorenzo Insigne | Forward | Toronto FC | $7.5 million |
| 4 | Emil Forsberg | Forward | NY Red Bulls | $5.41 million |
| 5 | Héctor Herrera | Midfielder | Houston Dynamo | $4.75 million |
| 6 | Sebastian Driussi | Forward | Austin | $4.5 million |
| 7 | Christian Benteke | Forward | DC United | $4.25 million |
| T-8 | Carles Gil | Forward | New England Revolution | $4 million |
| T-8 | Riqui Puig | Midfielder | LA Galaxy | $4 million |
| 10 | Hany Mukhtar | Forward | Nashville SC | $3.8 million |
| 11 | Alan Pulido | Forward | Sporting KC | $3.6 million |
| 12 | Hugo Cuypers | Forward | Chicago Fire | $3.24 million |
| T-13 | Walker Zimmerman | Defender | Nashville SC | $3.2 million |
| T-13 | Teemu Pukki | Forward | Minnesota United | $3.2 million |
| 15 | Joseph Paintstil | Forward | LA Galaxy | $3.14 million |
| 16 | Federico Bernadeschi | Forward | Toronto FC | $3.13 million |
| 17 | Luciano Acosta | Forward | FC Cincinnati | $2.96 million |
| 18 | Denis Bouanga | Forward | LA FC | $2.92 million |
| 19 | Ryan Gauld | Forward | Vancouver Whitecaps | $2.88 million |
| 20 | Luis Muriel | Forward | Orlando City | $2.83 million |
| 21 | Olivier Giroud | Forward | LA FC | $2.8 million |
| 22 | Diego Rossi | Forward | Columbus Crew | $2.68 million |
| 23 | Cucho Hernandez | Forward | Columbus Crew | $2.6 million |
| 24 | Ezequiel Ponce | Forward | Houston Dynamo | $2.56 million |
| 25 | Sam Surridge | Forward | Nashville SC | $2.5 million |
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