Two years after joining Inter Miami, Lionel Messi's salary continues to overwhelm everyone else in MLS. Per financial details from the MLS Players Association obtained by The Athletic's Jeff Reuter, the 38-year-old's guaranteed salary from the Herons is $20.4 million.

Lionel Messi is the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer for the third straight year with total annual compensation of $20,446,667, greater than the entire payroll of 21 teams.Messi's base compensation is $12 million,

In 2025, Messi is the highest-paid player with a guaranteed compensation of $20.4 million, per the MLS Players Association. Along with Messi, here's a look at the highest-paid MLS players in 2025 in terms of guaranteed compensation: