Messi tops MLS salary guide as Inter Miami leads payroll

The Major League Soccer Players Association released its 2025 salary guide this week, showing Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi as the highest‑paid player in the league with guaranteed compensation of about $20.45 million for the year and a $12 million base salary. The update, which covers players under contract as of October 1, 2025, also lists LAFC’s summer signing Son Heung‑min as the second‑highest earner with roughly $11.15 million in guaranteed pay, and confirms Inter Miami as the league’s biggest payroll at about $48.97 million.

The MLSPA figures reflect guaranteed salary, averaged bonuses and certain guaranteed payments but do not include additional team agreements, performance bonuses or off‑field income such as endorsements and revenue‑sharing. Messi’s recently announced contract extension with Inter Miami through 2028 is not captured in the report because of the October cutoff. The guide shows a widening gap between the highest and lowest spending clubs: CF Montréal is the lowest at about $12.92 million, while the league average guaranteed base compensation rose to roughly $632,800 and the median to about $338,350.

Messi used the timing of the salary release to...