NEW YORK, NY–The Major League Soccer Players’ Association released its latest edition of their Salary Guide featuring how much Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi is guaranteed in compensation. That figure is $20,446,667 which is more than the combined wage bills for all but three MLS teams (Toronto FC, LAFC, and LA Galaxy). It also accounts for more than half of the Herons’ wage bill.
Messi is reported to receive a cut of subscriber gains to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV as part of his signing. His base salary is listed at $12 million. His teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba make $1.775M and $1.25M, respectively.
What is also noteworthy is that of the top five payrolls, at least three are destined not to make the playoffs with the fifth highest payroll (Chicago Fire) possibly being the fourth. Conversely, seven of the bottom ten payrolls will be in the playoffs with the possibility of an eighth. Orlando City had the lowest payroll at under $10 million dollars, but will finish second overall in MLS and their regular season output was worth $160,715.30 per point so far. Supporters’ Shield winner FC Cincinnati was the 20th highest payroll in MLS, yet their production was worth about $211K per point. Wooden spoonists Toronto’s production has so far cost them a staggering $1.44M per point.
The next highest paid player in terms of guaranteed compensation was Toronto’s Lorenzo Insigne at $15.4M, followed by Chicago’s Xherdan Shaqiri at just over $8.15M. Insigne has scored just four goals in league play so far (or $3.85M per goal) while Shaqiri has five so far (approx. $1.63M per goal). By comparison, Denis Bouanaga was a bargain for LAFC at around $2.47M or $130,117 for each of his league-leading 19 goals this season. Vancouver’s Brian White is an ever bigger bargain at a little over $34,000 per goal (15 on the year so far).
LAFC still has the highest median salary at $450,000 while the lowest median salary is at St. Louis CITY SC at $112,833.
This reporter has developed a Tableau dashboard covering the Salary Guide with analysis by player and by team.
