SEATTLE — One Major League Soccer (MLS) player earned more compensation over his first year in the league than every player on the Seattle Sounders does annually, according to salary numbers released by the MLS Players' Association.
That player is Lionel Messi, arguably the most famous soccer player on earth. He joined Inter Miami FC in 2023, resulting in a significant increase in visibility for the league globally. Messi earned a base salary of $10.4 million and an annualized compensation of $20,446,667.
The Sounders' current payroll for 2024 comes out to $16,580,599.
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 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 $41.7 million payroll, double all MLS teams but Toronto ($31.4 million) and Chicago ($25.1 million). Nashville's roster, at $21.4 million, also earns more than Messi.
Seattle's highest-paid player in 2024 currently is forward Raul Ruidiaz, who has a guaranteed compensation of about $2.7 million.
The average base salary is $513,075 for MLS senior roster players, not including designated players who count only partly under a team’s salary cap. That figure is up 8.4% from $473,292 at the start of last year. Total guaranteed compensation averaged $594,389.
The total compensation of all signed players was $519 million, up 12.8% from $460 million at the start of last season and from $394 million at the beginning of 2022.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
