Messi remains highest-paid player in MLS

Lionel Messi remains the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer after signing a lucrative contract extension with Inter Miami CF.

According to figures released by the MLS Players Association, cited by PUNCH Online on Wednesday, the Argentina captain now earns an annual base salary of $`25 million (£18.5m), more than double the pay of any other player in the league.

Messi’s total guaranteed compensation is reported to be worth `$28.3m (£20.9m).

The 38-year-old signed the extension with Inter Miami in October, further cementing his status as the face of MLS since arriving in the United States in 2023.

Former Tottenham Hotspur FC forward Son Heung-min is listed as the league’s second-highest earner with a base salary of 11.2m (£8.3m).

Rodrigo De Paul and Hirving Lozano follow him among the top earners in MLS.

The salary figures released do not include income from endorsements or Messi’s option to acquire a stake in Inter Miami, the club co-owned by David Beckham.

Since joining the Florida-based club, Messi has transformed the MLS’s global profile.

He has scored 59 goals in 64 regular-season appearances and helped Inter Miami lift the MLS Cup in 2025.

Messi also finished as the league’s top scorer last season with 29 goals and has continued to dominate the competition with his performances and commercial impact.