Messi is a team player — especially in terms of cost

MIAMI — Lionel Messi's record $20.45 million annual salary from Inter Miami makes him by far the best paid player in Major League Soccer, but also puts his individual income ahead of the entire squads of 25 of the league's clubs, according to data released by the MLS Players Association on Thursday.

The players union regularly releases the full pay details of the entire league, and, while it was no surprise to see the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner at the top, the gulf between Messi and other players — and, indeed, entire teams — is striking.

Messi has a guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667, made up of a base salary of $12 million plus various bonuses.

The figures from the players' union do not include the huge income the Argentine World Cup winner receives in commercial deals, endorsements and sponsorships from companies such as Adidas and Apple.

Messi's last contract with Barcelona in 2017 was a four-year deal that gave him the potential to earn 138 million euros ($150 million) per season including salary and add-ons.

Messi moved to Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021, and was reported to be earning between 30-35 million euros with the French club.

The 36-year-old joined Miami in July last year on a deal which runs until the end of the 2025 season.

Toronto's Italian striker Lorenzo Insigne, who was MLS's best-ever paid player until Messi's arrival, was second on the list with a guaranteed income of $15.4 million from the Canadian club.

Messi's Spanish teammate, Sergio Busquets, the 35-year-old former Barca midfielder, is the third top earner in the league on $8.8 million guaranteed.

Miami's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez and Spanish fullback Jordi Alba, also former alumni of the Catalan club, each earn $1.5 million per year.

Inter Miami's total wage bill is $41.68 million, with Toronto second on $31.41 million. Current league champion, the Columbus Crew, had a total salary bill of $15.19 million, ranked 21st in the league.

Messi shares a dressing room with a number of teammates earning just a tiny fraction of his income — defender Noah Allen, a regular part of the matchday squad, earns a total of $91,383.

The average MLS salary is $594,390 in 2024, which is up 12.1 percent from last year.

While Messi's income is huge by MLS standards, it is well below the levels of top performers in other major sports in the USA.

Last year, in the NFL, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow signed a five-year deal worth $55 million per season, a new league record.

The NBA's top earner, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, makes $51.9 million.

AFP