Messi is MLS's top earner once again: 2026 salary release takeaways

Lionel Messi is receiving moreover much connected his 2nd MLS contract, arsenic unveiled successful nan MLS Players Association’s latest driblet of subordinate net information. The national drops connection a fascinating lens into MLS squad construction, a chance to play sporting head and springiness pass/fail verdicts connected roster building crossed nan 30-team circuit.

The Argentinian – whose take-home fig does not see further amounts earned via Apple streaming subscriptions aliases jersey income done Adidas and Fanatics – remains acold and distant MLS’s apical earner, receiving $28.3m successful his 4th play pinch Inter Miami. Son Heung-min ranks second, pinch Los Angeles FC paying nan Tottenham icon $11.2m, while Rodrigo De Paul joins Messi connected nan podium not arsenic his bodyguard but arsenic nan earner of a $9.7m income.

Messi’s caller statement keeps him astatine an unprecedented complaint of income. Only 1 squad spends much crossed its full roster than Miami pays Messi alone, pinch LAFC rostering nan league’s only different eight-figure earner. While these figures don’t see transportation fees and truthful don’t show nan full image of a team’s finance successful its roster, it is striking that each conference’s worst performer frankincense acold harbor nan league’s 2 lowest costs bills: Sporting Kansas City ($12.4m) and nan Philadelphia Union ($11.7m).

While San Diego FC’s first twelvemonth mostly went from spot to strength, these figures exemplify nan hindrance they’ve put themselves successful regarding Hirving “Chucky” Lozano. The squad are 13th successful nan West, albeit conscionable 3 points down nan last playoff position. After benching him during nan postseason for behavioral reasons, sporting head Tyler Heaps told nan media Lozano would not play for nan nine again … contempt having not sorted retired his exit plan.

The nationalist remark has proved to beryllium a negotiating faux pas, giving suitors each logic to clasp retired for nan champion woody possible. The 30-year-old is guaranteed to beryllium paid $9.3m this twelvemonth without having played a minute, almost triple nan wages of teammate and reigning MVP finalist Anders Dreyer ($3.6m). Lozano’s deal, which was announced 2 months earlier Heaps joined nan club, is slated to tally done 2028.

First, a look astatine each team’s highest-paid player, listed alongside what stock of that team’s full costs measure is committed to nan apical earner. All figures passim nan merchandise are astatine annualized rates sloppy of mid-season options.

The net driblet reveals information astir caller players successful nan league, arsenic good arsenic raises for players connected caller deals pinch their nine aliases those who moved wrong nan convention arsenic free agents. Müller’s afloat net ($5.2m) is revealed successful afloat for nan first time, arsenic he arrived for nan tail-end of 2025 astatine a little complaint to instantly fresh into their squad. Miami will nary longer drawback side-eyes astir De Paul’s earnings, aft his half-season indebtedness from Atlético Madrid (with a mandatory acquisition option) deed nan costs measure astatine a fraction of his afloat salary.

Former Germany world Timo Werner leads San Jose pinch a patient $4.3m compensation, while erstwhile Norwich striker Josh Sargent returned to North America aft agreeing to a $5.3m net pinch Toronto FC. Other highly paid newcomers see Facundo Torres (Austin, $4.4m), Germán Berterame (Miami, $3.8m), Mateusz Bogusz (Houston, $2.5m) and Morgan Guilavogui (Real Salt Lake, $2.2m).

Upon signing James Rodríguez to a half-year deal, Minnesota sporting head Khaled El-Ahmad told nan Guardian nan woody was indisputably team-friendly. Sure enough, nan Colombian playmaker checks successful astatine an annualized net of $684,000, making him nan ninth apical earner astatine nan mid-market club.

Paul Rothrock earned a hefty raise aft his free agency ended pinch caller position successful Seattle, up to $525,000 aft receiving $105,000 past season. Cristian Espinoza has been an instant smash pinch Nashville, taking location $2.3m pinch nan MLS Cup hopefuls. Finland world Robin Lod saw a flimsy trim from his income successful Minnesota, signing pinch Chicago for $866,667. DC United added their 2 apical 4 earners this winter: striker Tai Baribo ($2.4m) and guardant Louis Munteanu ($1.6m).

The Opulent XI

This is nan astir costly squad MLS teams tin cobble together, lined up successful a 4-2-3-1.

GK: Roman Bürki, STL ($2,750,000)

RB: Richie Laryea, TOR ($1,214,438)

CB: Miles Robinson, CIN ($3,950,000)

CB: Thiago Martins, NYC ($2,262,000)

LB: Sergio Reguilón, MIA ($1,800,000)

DM: Obinna Nwobodo, CIN ($1,849,724)

CM: Rodrigo De Paul, MIA ($9,688,320)

RW: Lionel Messi, MIA ($28,333,333)

AM: Hany Mukhtar, NSH ($5,411,667)

LW: Son Heung-min, LAFC ($11,152,852)

ST: Sam Surridge, NSH ($5,933,000)

In total, and mostly carried by Messi’s wages, nan MLS Opulent XI nets a mixed $74,345,334. For reference, Capology projects Burnley to person nan Premier League’s thriftiest ledger this season, checking successful astatine $75.1m.

Total outlay

Unsurprisingly, Miami commits acold and distant nan astir to their 3 highest earners (76.7%), while Philadelphia (23.4%) has nan lowest committedness to their apical trio.

While acold from a definitive tell-all figure, it’s absorbing to way each team’s median earner – nan midpoint subordinate who is location astir nan 14th to 18th apical earner connected astir rosters.

Teams performing good tin mention this arsenic grounds of reliable depth, aliases awesome elasticity if nan median is low. Those struggling to contend tin mention a debased median fig arsenic grounds that there’s ample room to turn pending ownership finance – looking astatine Sporting KC – aliases a calamitous headdress business if a middling performer is precocious connected this chart. Mostly, though, it’s absorbing trivia afforded by this net release.

The information besides shows really teams grew aliases shrank nan net finance complete nan bygone offseason. Some change is easy explained by 1 aliases 2 signings aliases departures; location are caller apical earners successful San Jose (Werner), Toronto (Sargent) and Austin (Torres) while Houston added 2 forwards connected seven-figure salaries. Conversely, Orlando’s fig dipped aft seeing Luis Muriel depart, but it is bound to emergence again erstwhile Antoine Griezmann joins aft nan World Cup.

Biggest costs measure increases from autumn 2025 to outpouring 2026

1. San Jose Earthquakes (+42.6%)

2. Toronto FC (+37.3%)

3. Austin FC (+26.7%)

4. Houston Dynamo (+24.5%)

5. Vancouver Whitecaps (+21.5%)

6. LA Galaxy (+18.5%)

7. Columbus Crew (+16.3%)

Biggest costs measure decreases from autumn 2025 to outpouring 2026

1. Sporting Kansas City (-29.8%)

2. Portland Timbers (-17.6%)

3. Orlando City (-14.7%)

4. Seattle Sounders (-13.5%)

5. Philadelphia Union (-12.7%)

The Budget XI

Poring complete nan information besides unearths plentifulness of players whose performances will surely request higher wages connected their adjacent deal. This squad tin beryllium cobbled together for a meager $2,013,188 annually. Understandably, galore of these players are youngsters yet establishing themselves arsenic starters, while seasoned Maxi Moralez took a trim from his past salaries astatine New York City FC arsenic he approaches his 40th birthday.

GK: Brian Schwake, NSH ($166,800)

RB: Frankie Westfield, PHI ($125,285)

CB: Reid Roberts, SJ ($88,025)

CB: Manu Duah, SD ($92,025)

LB: Tate Johnson, VAN ($89,025)

DM: Ronald Donkor, RBNY ($175,400)

CM: Adri Mehmeti, RBNY ($158,980)

RW: Zavier Gozo, RSL ($126,123)

AM: Maxi Moralez, NYC ($500,000)

LW: Warren Madrigal, NSH ($403,500)

ST: Sergi Solans, RSL ($88,025)

TOTAL: $2,013,188

Thanking Their Agents FC

Conversely, this batch of players person mostly underperformed what would beryllium expected fixed their wages. One objection is Miles Robinson, who lands present by kindness of receiving much than doubly arsenic overmuch arsenic each but 1 different halfway backmost (Thiago Martins) successful nan league. Another, nan awesome Roman Bürki, has performed good beneath his accustomed modular frankincense acold contempt doubling nan compensation of each but 1 different MLS goalkeeper (Matt Turner).

GK: Roman Bürki, STL ($2,750,000)

RB: Facundo Mura, MIA ($1,026,875)

CB: Miles Robinson, CIN ($3,950,000)

CB: Enea Mihaj, ATL ($1,557,000)

LB: Sergio Reguilón, MIA ($1,800,000)

DM: Gustav Berggren, RBNY ($1,310,000)

CM: Luca de la Torre, CLT ($1,611,827)

RW: Liel Abada, CLT ($2,648,500)

AM: Daniel Gazdag, CLB ($2,049,996)

LW: Hirving Lozano, SD ($9,333,333)

ST: Emmanuel Latte Lath, ATL ($3,736,000)