Lionel Messi leads the MLS earners, ahead of Son Heung-min

Inter Miami’s eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi remains the highest-paid footballer in Major League Soccer, with recent signing Son Heung-min from Los Angeles FC in second place, according to an updated payroll list published on Wednesday.

The guaranteed $20.4 million Messi receives annually from Inter Miami remains far ahead of other players.

The figure does not include other types of income, such as his extensive sponsorship portfolio, which the Argentine star received as part of the contract he signed upon his arrival in Miami in mid-2023, which expires in December.

The Argentina captain will start a three-season extension with Inter next year, the financial details of which are not yet known.

Messi, 38, has just been crowned the regular season’s top scorer – with 29 goals in 28 games – and is favored to retain the Most Valuable Player award.

His salary tops the list published by the MLS Players Association.

South Korea’s Son, the star signing of the US summer, is in second place with the annual $11.1 million committed to his contract with LAFC.

The former Tottenham captain landed in California in August after the most expensive transfer in MLS history, estimated at $26 million.

His impact was immediate, with Son scoring nine goals in ten games as LAFC advanced to the MLS Cup playoffs.

Third place on the list is occupied by Spaniard Sergio Busquets ($8.7 million), who will retire from Inter Miami at the end of the season.

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Paraguayan Miguel Almiron ($7.8 million) is in fourth place, and Mexican Hirving “Chucky” Lozano ($7.6 million) is in fifth place, both notable signings this season by Atlanta United and San Diego FC.

Published on October 30, 2025