Major League Soccer is the most prestigious club soccer competition in the United States. The league is generally known as the platform before retirement for European superstars. It has always been a big money-spending league behind players’ salary compared to the standard. However, Leo Messi’s move to Inter Miami, gave MLS another height and tremendous spotlight. Fans are having more interest in this league and its salary sums. Sportsnile brings in the list of the Top 20 Highest Paid MLS Players. See Top 10 Highest Paid MLS Players Weekly and Yearly Salary and Wage Fee Chart. MLS Live Stream Free Online App (FB Watch, YouTube, India, BD).
Highest Paid Players in Major League Soccer
Who is the highest-earning MLS player right now? Who is the top-paid MLS player in history? How much is Leo Messi paid in the MLS? Does Major League Soccer pay more than Premier league? Find all these answers along with the highest-earning Major League Soccer players list.
Top 20 Highest Paid MLS Players
Here is the list of the Top 20 Highest Paid MLS Players with weekly and yearly salary.
| Ranking | Player Name (Country) | Current Club | Weekly Salary | Annual Earnings |
| 20th | Luis Muriel (Colombia) | Orlando City | 54.4k US Dollars | 2.83 Million US Dollars |
| 19th | Ryan Gauld (Scotland) | Vancouver Whites | 55.4k US Dollars | 2.88 Million US Dollars |
| 18th | Denis Bouanga (Gabon) | Los Angeles FC | 56.1k US Dollars | 2.92 Million US Dollars |
| 17th | Luciano Acosta (Argentina) | FC Cincinnati | 57k US Dollars | 2.96 Million US Dollars |
| 16th | Federico Bernardeschi (Italy) | Toronto FC | 60.1k US Dollars | 3.13 Million US Dollars |
| 15th | Josepg Paintsil (Ghana) | Los Angeles Galaxy | 60.3k US Dollars | 3.14 Million US Dollars |
| 13th | Walker Zimmerman (USA) | Nashville SC | 61.5k US Dollars | 3.2 Million US Dollars |
| 13th | Teemu Pukki (Finland) | Minnesota United | 61.5k US Dollars | 3.2 Million US Dollars |
| 12th | Hugo Cuypers (Belgium) | Chicago Fire | 62.3k US Dollars | 3.24 Million US Dollars |
| 11th | Alan Pulido (Mexico) | Sporting KC | 69.2k US Dollars | 3.6 Million US Dollars |
Top 10 Highest Paid Players in MLS
| Ranking | Player Name (Country) | Current Club | Weekly Salary | Annual Earnings |
| 10th | Hany Mukhtar (Germany) | Nashville SC | 73k US Dollars | 3.8 Million US Dollars |
| 9th | Carles Gill (Spain) | New England Revolution | 76.9k US Dollars | 4 Million US Dollars |
| 8th | Christian Benteke (Belgium) | DC United | 81.7k US Dollars | 4.25 Million US Dollars |
| 7th | Sebastian Driussi (Argentina) | Austin FC | 86.5k US Dollars | 4.5 Million US Dollars |
| 6th | Hector Herrera (Mexico) | Houston Dynamo | 91.3k US Dollars | 4.75 Million US Dollars |
| 5th | Emil Forsberg (Sweden) | New York Red Bulls | 103.9k US Dollars | 5.4 Million US Dollars |
| 4th | Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland) | Chicago Fire | 141.3k US Dollars | 7.35 Million US Dollars |
| 3rd | Lorenzo Insigne (Italy) | Toronto FC | 144.2k US Dollars | 7.5 Million US Dollars |
| 2nd | Sergio Busquets (Spain) | Inter Miami CF | 163.4k US Dollars | 8.5 Million US Dollars |
| 1st | Lionel Messi (Argentina) | Inter Miami CF | 230k US Dollars | 12 Million US Dollars |
Who is the Highest Paid Player in MLS?
Well, this name doesn’t need mentioning. You definitely know who he is! It’s the GOAT, the true Greatest Footballer of All Time, Lionel Messi, who is the highest-paid MLS player right now. The Argentine National Team Captain joined the US-based side on July 15, 2023. He decided to leave PSG and Europe and made his move further westward to America. His contract expires on December 31st, 2025, and has signed a massive contract to be lured by his new side.
Sergio Busquets follows his clubmate Leo. Former Napoli skipper Lorenzo Insigne occupies the 3rd spot among the highest earners with an annual salary of 7.5 Million US Dollars. Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri stands in the 4th position at the moment. The Chicago Fire midfielder bags 7.35 Million US Dollars annually. Former Bundesliga star, Forsberg grabs the 5th spot at the moment with the yearly contract worth 5.4 Million US Dollars.
Is Messi highest paid MLS player?
Yes, without any doubt, and by far margin, Lionel Messi is the highest-paid MLS player. It’s actually an obvious answer. It was the biggest deal in Major League Soccer history and it clearly made Messi the top-earning MLS player of all time.
How much is Messi paid in MLS?
Sources revealed that Leo Messi’s contract will hand him 12 million US Dollars every year in Miami, Florida. Hence, his weekly wage fee will be approximately 230k US Dollars. Messi’s Miami-mate and former FC Barcelona friend Busquets is the 2nd highest-earning star of the club as well as in the entire league. The Spanish international bags 8.5 million US Dollars per year for his services at the DRV PNK Stadium.
Who is the highest-paid MLS player in history?
Once again, we must clarify that Leo Messi is the highest-paid MLS player in history. He leads the race with a gap of miles. No player has ever earned that sum of money by playing in the MLS. In fact, nobody has earned even half of what Messi is gaining to play in the US Domestic Soccer competition.
Does MLS pay more than Premier League?
Nah, definitely not. Major League Soccer actually attracts players with lucrative deals during the ending phases of their careers. It actually spreads money more than the players’ worth quite like the Saudi League. Or more clearly, with a specific form, a player would earn much higher at the MLS than in the European leagues. However, the quality of the players is much lower in the MLS than in the Europe-based top leagues based on form & abilities.
Hence, despite having a tendency to spend more on veteran stars, overall, the MLS pays less than the Premier League. In the Premier League, most of the players earn more than a million at the end of the year. But in Major League Soccer, only a few players could cross the million-dollar mark yearly. But one thing we can say is that the highest-paid player in the MLS is Leo Messi who will earn much more than the highest-earning Premier League star, Kevin De Bruyne.
So, in general, MLS doesn’t pay more than the Premier League but MLS’s highest-paid player earns more than EPL’s top earner at the moment. It’s simply the Leo Messi effect. Inter Miami Players Salary Per Week 2023, Annual Wages.
