LAFC’s Son Heung-Min joined Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi as the one two MLS gamers to make over $10 million in annual wage. Son, a summer time acquisition by LAFC has a assured compensation of $11.2 million whereas Messi stays the league’s highest paid participant at $20.4 million.
The knowledge is in response to the MLS Gamers Affiliation, which launched its record of MLS participant wage knowledge on Wednesday.
Messi’s quantity contains simply his enjoying wage, with the Argentine additionally set to profit from different income streams similar to his endorsement cope with Adidas and a income sharing settlement with league broadcast companion Apple.
Based on Sportico, Messi stands to earn as much as $150 million over the lifetime of the two-and-a-half 12 months contract that was attributable to expire on the finish of this 12 months. Messi, the newly topped Golden Boot winner in MLS with 29 targets in 28 video games, not too long ago signed a contract extension with Inter Miami that may see him stay in South Florida by way of the top of the 2028 season.
Son’s contract with LAFC runs by way of 2027, with choices that might lengthen it to 2029.
The highest 5 earners had been rounded out by Messi’s membership teammate, Sergio Busquets, who makes $8.8 million, adopted by Atlanta United’s Miguel Almirón at $6.1 million and San Diego’s Hirving Lozano at $6 million.
All knowledge is as of Oct. 1, 2025. The wage knowledge was annualized for gamers who arrived in the course of the summer time switch window.
Miami continues to lap the sector by way of complete staff spending. Because of the midseason arrival of Rodrigo DePaul, Miami elevated its spending to a document $48.97 million, although it missed out on a second consecutive Supporters’ Defend triumph, with the low-spending Philadelphia Union successful that trophy.
Miami’s outlay is greater than double the quantity spent by 27 of the league’s remaining 29 groups.
By way of staff payroll primarily based on assured base compensation, LAFC ranked second behind Miami at $30.1 million adopted by Atlanta United ($28.48 million) FC Cincinnati ($23.19 million) and the Chicago Hearth ($23.11 million)
CF Montreal had the bottom payroll at $12.92 million, adopted by FC Dallas ($13.15 million), the Philadelphia Union ($13.43 million), Toronto FC ($13.65 million) and Minnesota United ($14.54 million).
The common outlay per staff was $19.69 million in comparison with $18.41 million a 12 months in the past, a rise of seven%. The median spend per staff was $18.01 million in contrast with final 12 months’s mark of $16.68 million. That represents a rise of 8%.
Essentially the most notable distinction in spending year-over-year was that of Toronto FC, whose outlay plummeted from $31.81 million a 12 months in the past to simply $13.65 million in 2025. This was due largely to the midseason departures of designated gamers Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi.
The common assured base compensation for your complete MLS participant pool — which included pool gamers and retired gamers nonetheless owed cash — continues to climb on an annual foundation, rising to $632,809, up 6.1% from the September, 2024 mark of $596,226. The salaries of gamers on the backside of the wage scale proceed to enhance, because the league’s median assured base compensation was $338,347, up 9.7 % from the September, 2024, mark of $308,375.
MLS and the MLSPA are within the fifth 12 months of the Collective Bargaining Settlement (CBA) that was agreed upon in February of 2021. The present CBA runs by way of the top of the 2027 season.
Complete spend per staff:
1. Inter Miami – $48.97 million
2. LAFC – $30.1 million
3. Atlanta United – 28.48
4. FC Cincinnati – $23.19 million
5. Chicago Hearth – $23.11 million
6. Nashville SC – $22.44 million
7. Portland Timbers – $22.44 million
8. LA Galaxy – $22.26 million
9. San Diego FC – $22.25
10. New York Pink Bulls – $22.07 million
11. Columbus Crew – $19.22 million
12. New England Revolution – $19.11 million
13. Charlotte FC – $19.02 million
14. New York Metropolis FC – $18.84 million
15. Seattle Sounders – $18.25 million
16. Vancouver Whitecaps – $17.77 million
17. Sporting Kansas Metropolis – $17.61 million
18. San Jose Earthquakes – $17.08 million
19. St. Louis Metropolis SC – $16.93 million
20. Houston Dynamo – $16.77 million
21. Orlando Metropolis – $16.11 million
22. Austin FC – $15.68 million
23. Actual Salt Lake – $15.66 million
24. DC United – $14.92 million
25. Colorado Rapids – $14.63 million
26. Minnesota United – $14.54 million
27. Toronto FC – $13.65 million
28. Philadelphia Union – $13.43 million
29. FC Dallas – $13.15 million
30. CF Montreal – $12.92 million