Messi remains highest-paid player in MLS

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Lionel Messi remains the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer after signing a lucrative contract extension with Inter Miami CF.

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According to figures released by the MLS Players Association, cited by PUNCH Online on Wednesday, the Argentina captain now earns an annual base salary of $`25 million (£18.5m), more than double the pay of any other player in the league.

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Messi’s total guaranteed compensation is reported to be worth `$28.3m (£20.9m).

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The 38-year-old signed the extension with Inter Miami in October, further cementing his status as the face of MLS since arriving in the United States in 2023.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur FC forward Son Heung-min is listed as the league’s second-highest earner with a base salary of 11.2m (£8.3m).

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Rodrigo De Paul and Hirving Lozano follow him among the top earners in MLS.

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The salary figures released do not include income from endorsements or Messi’s option to acquire a stake in Inter Miami, the club co-owned by David Beckham.

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Since joining the Florida-based club, Messi has transformed the MLS’s global profile.

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He has scored 59 goals in 64 regular-season appearances and helped Inter Miami lift the MLS Cup in 2025.

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Messi also finished as the league’s top scorer last season with 29 goals and has continued to dominate the competition with his performances and commercial impact

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