Lionel Messi Dominates MLS Pay Scale as 2025's Highest-Paid Player by Massive Gap

For the first time in 2025, the MLS Players' Association disclosed player salaries across the league, confirming that Inter Miami CF's Lionel Messi continues to hold the position as the league's top earner for a consecutive second year.

These salary figures, made public on June 25, represent the initial of two yearly disclosures by the MLSPA and reflect data accurate as of May 23, 2025.

Although Messi's compensation package, featuring guaranteed earnings of $20.45 million, establishes him as the top-paid athlete, his actual income extends far beyond this amount. Sportico reports that he stands to earn more than $150 million throughout his two-and-a-half-year tenure with Inter Miami.

Beyond his base salary, Messi generates additional revenue through an MLS partnership with adidas and receives a portion of Apple TV's MLS Season Pass subscription fees.

Following Messi in the earnings hierarchy, Toronto FC's Lorenzo Insigne holds the second position among MLS's highest-paid players with guaranteed compensation totaling $15.44 million, while Miami's Sergio Busquets ranks third with a considerably lower figure of $8.5 million.

Inter Miami also topped the league in total salary expenditure at $46.84 million, representing a $5 million jump from their record-setting 2024 total. Toronto follows with $34.13 million, and Atlanta United rounds out the top three with $27.63 million.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, CF Montréal operates with the league's smallest payroll at just $11.99 million. Other clubs with modest spending include the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Union at $13.37 million, Real Salt Lake at $13.41 million, and Minnesota United at $13.8 million.

Below is an overview of MLS's highest salaries for 2025.

Top 20 Player Salaries in MLS as of May 23, 2025