Lionel Messi’s $33.3 million compensation with Inter Miami exceeds all but three other MLS teams

Lionel Messi celebrates a goal with Inter Miami teammates. Photo / AP

Lionel Messi’s annualised pay from his Major League Soccer contract with Inter Miami is just over US$20.4 million ($33.3m) in his first full season, exceeding the payrolls of all but three other teams in the league.

Messi joined Inter Miami last summer and has a base salary of US$10.4 million and annualized compensation of US$20,446,667, the MLS Players Association said today in its first salary release of 2024.

Those figures cover what Messi receives from his MLS deal, which runs through the 2025 season, including any marketing bonus and agent’s fees. They do not account for any additional agreements with the team or its affiliates, or for any performance bonuses.

Messi, who turns 37 next month, has 10 goals this season, one shy of the MLS lead.

Miami leads the league with a US$41.7 million payroll, double all but Toronto (US$31.4 million) and Chicago (US$25.1 million). Nashville’s roster, at US$21.4 million, also earns more than Messi.

Messi’s teammates include midfielder Sergio Busquets (US$8,774,996) and forward Luis Suárez and left back Jordi Alba (US$1.5 million each).

St. Louis has the lowest payroll among the 29 teams at US$12 million, just below Salt Lake and San Jose at US$13.6 million each.

The LA Galaxy cut payroll from US$23.5 million at the start of last year to US$17.9 million and Atlanta from US$21.3 million to US$16.7 million. Toronto boosted payroll from a league-high US$25.7 million at the opening of 2023 and Nashville increased from US$14 million.

Toronto winger Lorenzo Insigne is second in compensation at US$15.4 million, followed by Busquets, Chicago midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri at US$8,153,000, Austin midfielder Sebastián Driussi at US$6,722,500, Toronto winger Federico Bernardeschi at US$6,295,381 and New York Red Bulls midfielder Emil Forsberg at US$6,035,625.

Among this year’s MLS newcomers are Chicago forward Hugo Cuypers (US$3,528,044) and LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (US$350,000).

The average base salary of US$513,075 for senior rosters players, not including designated players who count only partly under a team’s salary cap, was up 8.4 percent from US$473,292 at the start of last year. Total guaranteed compensation averaged US$594,389.

Total compensation of all signed players was US$519 million, up 12.8 percent from US$460 million at the start of last season and from US$394 million at the beginning of 2022.

Among U.S. national team players, Nashville defender Walker Zimmerman had total compensation of US$3,456,979, Dallas forward Jesús Ferreira US$2,204,000, Seattle winger Jordan Morris US$1,693,750, Colorado midfielder Djordje Mihailovic US$1,675,000, Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson US$1,578,580, Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan US$1.541,000 and Cincinnati right back DeAndre Yedlin US$898,750.