Lionel Messi (38) may have slipped to a shared fourth place in the Major League Soccer market value rankings due to age, but when it comes to salaries in North America’s top soccer league, the Argentine World Cup winner at Inter Miami remains in a league of his own. Official figures released by the MLS Player Association (MLSPA) reveal that Messi’s guaranteed compensation stands at $28.3 million (approximately €24.1 million), with a base salary of $25 million.
The list includes both base salary and guaranteed compensation for every player—the only two official figures subject to MLS’s salary cap. Endorsement deals, which are separate, are not included. This explains why reports from outlets like Forbes in October 2025 estimated Messi’s total earnings at up to $130 million, far exceeding his official guaranteed amount in Miami.
Despite this discrepancy, Messi’s MLS salary dwarfs others. The three players chasing him—Heung-min Son (33) of Los Angeles FC, teammate Rodrigo De Paul (31), and Hirving Lozano (30) of San Diego FC—earn a combined guaranteed compensation of $30.1 million, with each between $9.3 million and $11.1 million. De Paul, originally on a Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) loan last season with a guaranteed $3.62 million, has nearly tripled his pay in his second year after a permanent move from Atlético Madrid. Lozano, meanwhile, collects his salary without on-field returns, having clashed with the coaching staff last season and been told by San Diego before the 2026 campaign to find a new club.
German Players’ Salaries in MLS
Former Bayern star Thomas Müller, now with the Vancouver Whitecaps, has seen a significant percentage increase. The 2014 World Cup winner earned around $1.4 million in his first half-season in Canada, as the Whitecaps lacked a Designated Player slot at the time. In 2026, his contract restructured to a base salary of $5 million and guaranteed compensation of $5.15 million (€4.4 million). While Messi’s lead over Müller is no longer 15 times what it was six months ago, the Argentine still earns multiples of Bayern’s record appearance-maker.
Hany Mukhtar (5.4 million) of Nashville SC remains the top German earner just ahead of Müller. New MLS arrival Timo Werner at the San Jose Earthquakes has a guaranteed $4.3 million (€3.7 million) on a base salary of $3.7 million. Thus, Messi’s guaranteed compensation is almost exactly three times the combined total of Müller and Werner.
Marco Reus (36) of LA Galaxy earns significantly less, with guaranteed compensation of about $902,000—down from $1.1 million the previous year. Reus’s relatively low salary is explained by the Designated Player slots already being filled when he transferred in 2024, leading to a deal with a lower base salary but various payments outside the current cap.
The highest-earning U.S. player on the list actually plays in Canada. Toronto FC paid $18.65 million plus $4.2 million in bonuses to Norwich City for striker Josh Sargent (26) in February, making him the club’s most expensive signing ever and the third-most expensive in MLS history. According to the MLSPA, Sargent will receive a guaranteed compensation of $5.27 million this season—slightly more than Müller.
