Lionel Messi breaks the MLS salary scale: he earns more than 28 entire rosters

Lionel Andrés Messi also stands out when it comes to money. The Argentine is, by a wide margin, the highest-paid player in MLS, and his guaranteed annual compensation exceeds what all the players on 28 league teams earn, compared one by one.

According to the salary guide from the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA), Messi has in 2026 an annualized base salary of $25 million and a guaranteed annual compensation of $28,333,333. The latter figure includes the base salary, certain guaranteed bonuses, marketing incentives, and agent fees annualized over the duration of the contract. It does not include performance-related bonuses or other agreements Messi may have directly with the club or its affiliates.

Messi earns more than the entire roster of 28 teams

The comparison helps put the difference into perspective. Messi, by himself, exceeds the guaranteed compensation of all the players on 28 of the 30 MLS clubs.

One of the clearest examples is Philadelphia Union. The club’s entire roster totals approximately $11.7 million in guaranteed compensation, less than half of the $28.3 million attributed to Messi.

Only two teams individually exceed the Argentine's figure. Inter Miami reaches approximately $54.6 million in guaranteed compensation, while LAFC is around $32.6 million. Atlanta United, at about $27.9 million, already falls below Messi.

In the case of Inter Miami, moreover, Messi accounts for approximately half of the entire squad’s guaranteed compensation.

Son Heung-min and Rodrigo De Paul are very far behind

The gap is also evident when comparing Messi with the other top salaries in MLS. Son Heung-min, of LAFC, appears second with a guaranteed compensation of $11,152,852, while Rodrigo De Paul, Messi's teammate at Inter Miami, occupies third place with $9,688,320.

Messi therefore earns more than double what Son makes and even exceeds the combined total of both guaranteed contracts.

The difference compared to the average player is even greater. The data of 911 footballers was analyzed and placed the average guaranteed compensation at around $686,000. The median is approximately $350,000, which places Messi in another dimension within the competition’s salary structure.

Messi's salary doesn't account for his entire fortune

The $28.3 million represents his guaranteed compensation within MLS, but it does not equal all the income generated by the Argentine.

MLSPA itself clarifies that its figures do not include amounts from individual contracts with clubs or their affiliated companies. Nor does it include certain performance bonuses, as they are not guaranteed.

To that must be added his commercial and sponsorship deals. Therefore, the salary officially reported by MLS is only one part of Messi's economic scope in the United States.

The MLS has two scales when it comes to salaries: that of its biggest stars and that of the rest of the league. And, above them all, there is Messi.