Incredible stat shows Messi paid more than 25 MLS teams' entire rosters
Tom Weber
- Updated: 20 Oct 2023 09:18 BST
- 4 min read
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami salary has been revealed.
It's a tradition that may seem strange to Europeans, where secrecy regarding transfers and player salaries is the norm, but Major League Soccer, or rather the MLS Players Association, reveals all the financial details of player contracts twice a year.
The second iteration of the 2023 MLS Salary Guide features, for the very first time, Lionel Messi following his summer move to Inter Miami. David Beckham's Fort Lauderdale-based franchise has enjoyed stunning success in terms of marketing and - exclusively when Messi has been fit - on-pitch performances and the Argentine is being handsomely rewarded for his transformation of the side and MLS as a whole.
READ: 'World class Bellingham can become as good as Messi'
While it was already revealed when he signed that MLS's main sponsors, adidas and Apple TV, had done their part in luring the World Cup winner stateside with profit-sharing, Messi's exact salary has now been laid bare - and it's quite shocking.
How much does Messi earn at Inter Miami?
On the face of it, a base yearly salary of $12 million (€11.4m) and a guaranteed compensation of $20.5m (€19.4m) don't seem like that much for arguably the greatest player in the history of football given that Saudi side Al-Hilal were ready to offer him hundreds of millions.
However, in the context of MLS, it is an eyebrow-raising amount of money. Unsurprisingly, the 36-year-old is the best-paid player in league history. More shockingly, Inter Miami pay Messi alone more money than 25 (yes, twenty-five) of the league's 29 teams spend on their entire roster.
READ: "I wouldn't play anywhere for money!" Hazard on rejected MLS & Saudi moves
Only the squads of Toronto FC, the LA Galaxy and LAFC are paid more than the Argentine. Interestingly, out of these three and Inter Miami, only LAFC made the playoffs this term.
In terms of other players, only Toronto's Lorenzo Insigne comes close to Messi with a guaranteed compensation of $15.4m (€14.6m). All told, Inter Miami's salary outlay amounts to $39.4m (€37.3m), the most in the league, while Toronto clock in at a distant second at $32.3m (€30.6m).
Top 5 earners in MLS
| Player | Team | Base Salary | Guaranteed Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | $12m | $20.5m |
| Lorenzo Insigne | Toronto FC | $7.5m | $15.4m |
| Xherdan Shaqiri | Chicago Fire | $7.4m | $8.2m |
| Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez | LA Galaxy | $6m | $7.4m |
| Federico Bernadeschi | Toronto FC | $3.1m | $6.3m |
