Messi is at the top here too. MLS has published a ranking of the highest paid players in the league

The MLS Players Association has released salary information for all players in the league, including the salary of Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi.

Messi is the highest-paid player in the league. His base salary is $12 million per year, and the total annual payout for the 36-year-old player amounts to $20,446,667. This amount does not include performance bonuses but does include payments to agents and marketing bonuses.

In second place in terms of salary is Lionel Messi's teammate, Sergio Busquets, with a salary of $8,499,996 and a total annual payout of $8,774,996. Third place goes to Lorenzo Insigne of Toronto. His base salary is $7.5 million, making it the third highest in the league, but his total annual payout reaches $15.4 million.

Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham, leads the league in the number of players with the highest salaries. This information was revealed by the official MLS Players Association portal.

Top 5 highest-paid MLS players:

1. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) – $12 million (guaranteed compensation – $20,446,667).
2. Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami) – $8,499,996 ($8,774,996).
3. Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto) – $7.5 million ($15.4 million).
4. Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire) – $7.35 million ($8.153 million).
5. Emil Forsberg (New York Red Bulls) – $5.405 million ($6,035,625).

It is noted that guaranteed compensation includes the player’s base salary as well as all signing and guaranteed bonuses that are annually allocated over the term of the player's contract, including years for which the contract may be automatically extended.