Lionel Messi has once again rewritten the record books in Major League Soccer, but this time it's on his paycheck. The Argentine superstar more than doubled his base salary to $25 million in his new contract with Inter Miami, with total guaranteed compensation soaring to $28.3 million—more than double that of any other player in the league.
According to the MLS Players Association's first salary release of 2026, Messi's new deal represents a massive leap from his initial contract signed in July 2023, which carried a $12 million base salary and $20.4 million in annualized guaranteed compensation. After agreeing to a three-year extension through 2028 last October, the 38-year-old forward—who turns 39 next month—led Inter Miami to its first MLS title and continues to captain defending World Cup champion Argentina.
Messi's dominance on the field is undeniable: 59 goals in 64 regular-season games with Miami, including nine in just 11 matches this season. He led MLS with 29 regular-season goals last year and claimed his second straight MVP award. With a sixth World Cup appearance on the horizon, his value to the league is clear—and so is his impact on Inter Miami's payroll.
Inter Miami's total payroll now stands at $54.6 million, a staggering $20 million more than second-place LAFC ($32.7 million) and nearly five times the league-low $11.7 million spent by the Philadelphia Union. That's up from $46.8 million at the start of last season, reflecting the club's aggressive investment in star power. For context, the league's average guaranteed compensation hit $688,816 as of April 16—up 8.9% from $632,809 last October—with total league compensation reaching $631 million.
Behind Messi on the salary chart is LAFC's Son Heung-min, who remains at $10.4 million in base salary and $11.2 million in total compensation—the same figures as last season. The 33-year-old South Korean winger joined LA last August and slots in as the league's second-highest earner, though still far behind Messi's astronomical numbers.
Messi's figures include his MLS contract, marketing bonuses, and agent fees, but don't account for any additional agreements with the team or performance bonuses. Meanwhile, Toronto FC slashed its payroll to $21.4 million from $34.1 million at the start of 2025, while LAFC boosted spending to $32.7 million from $22.4 million—a clear sign that teams are recalibrating their rosters in the Messi era.