Lionel Messi remains Major League Soccer’s highest-paid player by a considerable margin in 2026, according to the latest salary figures released by the MLS Players Association. The Inter Miami CF superstar earns $28.3 million in guaranteed compensation, excluding commercial bonuses, incentives and his future ownership stake in the club.
Even without additional earnings, Messi’s salary alone exceeds the total payroll of nearly every MLS franchise, with only Los Angeles FC spending more overall on player wages.
Son Heung-min ranks second on the list following his blockbuster move to LAFC last summer. The South Korean forward earns $11.2 million annually, while teammate and fellow marquee signing Rodrigo De Paul sits third league-wide at $9.7 million after completing a permanent move to Miami.
Other notable names among MLS’s top earners include Hirving Lozano, Miguel Almirón, Emil Forsberg and Riqui Puig.
Inter Miami also tops the league in total wage expenditure, with a payroll reaching $54.6 million. LAFC follows at $32.7 million, ahead of Atlanta United FC and LA Galaxy. Meanwhile, Philadelphia Union sits at the bottom of the spending table with just $11.7 million allocated to player salaries.
The latest figures also underline how MLS clubs continue to use the designated player system to attract global stars. Josh Sargent joined Toronto FC on a deal worth $5.2 million annually, while Thomas Müller saw his salary rise significantly after becoming a designated player for Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
At the same time, several lower-cost players have emerged as some of the league’s best-value performers. Preston Judd has become one of MLS’s top scorers despite earning just $299,000 per year, while young talents such as Zavier Gozo and Lucas Herrington continue to outperform their contracts.
The release once again highlights the growing financial divide inside MLS, where a small group of clubs are investing aggressively in global star power while much of the league continues operating under tighter spending structures.