MLS player salary rankings, Messi’s salary is twice as much as Son Heung-min

Messi, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner in today's football, is still the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, surpassing South Korean player Son Heung-min who only joined Los Angeles FC this summer.

According to player salary data released by the Major League Soccer (MLS) Professional Players Association, Lionel Messi receives US$20.4 million in salary income from his team Inter Miami every year, far ahead of all other professional players in the MLS. This salary income, of course, does not include Messi’s other income, including sponsorship fees and other commercial income.

The 38-year-old Argentine star scored 29 goals in 28 games in the MLS regular season this season. He recently announced that he has completed a contract extension with Inter Miami. It is not yet known whether the salary conditions in Messi's renewed contract will be more generous. Ranking second on the MLS player salary list is Korean player Son Heung-min. His annual salary income is US$11.1 million, which is almost half less than Messi’s income. Ranked third is Messi’s teammate Busquets (Cantonese translation: Baskith), but he will be retired after the end of this season. Busquets’ annual salary income is US$8.7 million.