Lionel Messi was the highest-paid MLS player in 2023, earning a guaranteed 20.45 million U.S. dollars. The iconic Argentinian forward moved to the U.S. in June of that year, having an immediate social media impact.
Highest-earning Major League Soccer (MLS) players in 2023, by annual salary (in U.S. dollars)
| Characteristic | Annual salary in U.S. dollars |
|---|---|
| Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) | 20,446,667 |
| Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto FC) | 15,400,000 |
| Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire) | 8,153,000 |
| Javier Hernández (LA Galaxy) | 7,443,750 |
| Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC) | 6,295,381 |
| Sebastián Driussi (Austin FC) | 6,022,500 |
| Héctor Herrera (Houston Dynamo) | 5,246,875 |
| Douglas Costa (LA Galaxy) | 4,508,333 |
| Christian Benteke (DC United) | 4,432,778 |
| Josef Martínez (Inter Miami) | 4,391,667 |
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