The MLS Players Association released the annualized salaries for each player in the league for the first time in 2026, and Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi remains the league’s highest-paid player for the third year in a row and earned a huge pay raise.
The salaries, released Tuesday, are the first of two annual releases by the MLSPA and are current as of April 16, 2026. The average guaranteed compensation for the league’s players is $688,816.
Messi signed a three-year contract extension with the Herons through the 2028 season last October, right before leading the club to its first MLS Cup title. His base salary of $25 million, including guaranteed compensation of $28.3 million, this season marks a drastic increase from the $12 million base and guaranteed compensation of $20.4 million he earned last year, per the MLS Players Association salary guide from October.
While the 38-year-old Argentinian superstar’s salary makes him by far the U.S. top flight’s highest-paid player, he actually takes home significantly more cash. Inter Miami actually pay him $70 to $80 million annually, according to club owner Jorge Mas, making the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and World Cup champion the second-highest paid player in the world, behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s estimated $230 on-field salary with Al Nassr.
In addition to his salary, Messi earns money through an MLS-related deal with adidas and receives a cut of revenue sharing from Apple TV, among other business ventures, all of which brought his annual earnings to around $135 million in 2025, a number that has likely increased this season, with the salary pay raise and plethora of 2026 FIFA World Cup endorsements.
Way behind Messi, LAFC’s Son Heung-min is the second highest-paid player in MLS with a base salary of of $10.3 million and guaranteed compensation of $11.1 million. Miami’s Rodrigo De Paul sits in third with a base salary of $7.5 million and guaranteed compensation of $9.6 million.
Here’s a look at the top 10 salaries in MLS in 2026, which include players for nine different clubs.
Top 10 Player Salaries in MLS as of April 16, 2026
Player |
Club |
Base Salary |
Guaranteed Comp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | $25,000,000 | $28,333,333 |
| 2. Son Heung-min | LAFC | $10,368,750 | $11,152,852 |
| 3. Rodrigo De Paul | Inter Miami | $7,569,000 | $9,688,320 |
| 4. Miguel Almirón | Atlanta United | $6,056,000 | $7,871,000 |
| 5. Hirving Lozano | San Diego FC | $6,000,000 | $9,333,333 |
| 6. Emil Forsberg | New York Red Bulls | $5,405,000 | $6,035,625 |
| 7. Sam Surridge | Nashville SC | $5,280,000 | $5,933,000 |
| 8. Ricard Puig Martí | LA Galaxy | $5,125,000 | $5,792,188 |
| 9. Thomas Müller | Vancouver Whitecaps | $5,000,004 | $5,152,504 |
| 10. Jonathan Bamba | Chicago Fire FC | $5,000,000 | $5,581,806 |
Guaranteed compensation includes a player’s base salary and all signing and guaranteed bonuses annualized over the term of the player’s contract, including option years, per MLSPA.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Top 10 MLS Salaries in 2026: Lionel Messi Earns Giant Pay Raise.
