Lionel Messi continues to sit comfortably at the top of Major League Soccer’s salary list after agreeing to a contract extension with Inter Miami in October. According to figures published by the MLS Players Association, the Argentine forward earns a yearly base salary of $25m (£18.5m), preserving a huge financial gap over every other player in the league.
Lionel Messi continues to sit comfortably at the top of Major League Soccer’s salary list after agreeing to a contract extension with Inter Miami in October. According to figures published by the MLS Players Association, the Argentine forward earns a yearly base salary of $25m (£18.5m), preserving a huge financial gap over every other player in the league.
Now approaching his 39th birthday next month, Messi also receives $28.3m (£20.9m) in guaranteed compensation under the updated agreement. His revised pay package represents a major rise, with his base earnings doubling under the latest terms.
Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-min stands as MLS’s next-biggest earner, though his income remains well below Messi’s level. The former Tottenham player, now 33, collects a base salary of $10.4m (£7.7m), while his guaranteed total reaches $11.2m (£8.3m).
Son’s earnings place him narrowly ahead of both Inter Miami midfielder Rodrigo de Paul and San Diego FC’s Hirving Lozano among the league’s highest-paid names.
The salary data does not take into account Messi’s commercial endorsements or his option to secure an ownership stake in Inter Miami. The club is partly owned by David Beckham, adding another dimension to the Argentine’s long-term involvement beyond his playing contract.
These additional opportunities mean Messi’s wider financial picture extends beyond the official salary numbers released by the players’ association.
Since arriving in Florida in 2023, Messi has delivered extraordinary production in regular-season MLS action, scoring 59 goals in 64 appearances. His performances helped Inter Miami capture the MLS Cup in 2025.
He also finished last season as the league’s top scorer with 29 goals and claimed the Most Valuable Player award in both 2024 and 2025, underlining his dominance on and off the field.
