Messi highest paid player with $25m salary: The MLS Players Association announced on Tuesday that Lionel Messi is still the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer with an annual base salary of $25 million, which is more than twice as much as the next highest-paid player, Son Heung-min. The union’s most recent list of player salaries took into account the contract extension Messi signed with Inter Miami in October, which will keep him with the Florida team through the 2028 season. The figures show that Messi’s base salary has doubled and he will receive $28.3 million in guaranteed compensation.
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Messi highest paid player with $25m salary
Messi’s October contract extension with Inter Miami, which will keep him with the Florida team until the 2028 season, was reflected in the union’s most recent list of player pay.
Messi’s base income has risen, and the pact will guarantee him $28.3 million in total remuneration, according to the calculations.
The 38-year-old Messi, who is expected to lead Argentina’s World Cup title defence starting next month, has 59 goals in 64 MLS regular-season games with Miami. He led the league with 29 goals last season and was named Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season. Son, the former Tottenham captain who signed with Los Angeles FC last August for a reported MLS record $26 million transfer fee, has a base salary of $10.36 million with a total guaranteed compensation of $11.2 million.
Both the money from endorsement deals and Messi’s option to purchase a share in the Florida team, which he joined in 2023 and is co-owned by David Beckham, are not included in the wages.
With 59 goals in 64 MLS regular-season games with Miami, Messi, 38, is anticipated to spearhead Argentina’s World Cup championship defence beginning next month. With 29 goals in the previous season, he dominated the league and won the Most Valuable Player award for the second consecutive year.
Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s teammate from Argentina and Inter Miami, is ranked third on the list with a guaranteed salary of $9.7 million; Hirving “Chucky” Lozano of Mexico, who hasn’t played for San Diego since November, is ranked fourth with a guaranteed salary of $9.3 million; Miguel Almiron of Atlanta completes the top five with a guaranteed salary of $7.9 million; the total league compensation was listed at $631 million, with an 8.9% increase from figures released last October.
Hirving “Chucky” Lozano of Mexico, who hasn’t played for San Diego since November, is ranked fourth on the list with $9.3 million.
Miguel Almiron of Atlanta completes the top five with a $7.9 million salary guarantee.
The average guaranteed salary was $688,816, an 8.9% increase from numbers published in October of last year, while the total league remuneration was stated at $631 million.


