Lionel Messi is the highest-paid player in MLS history

BeSoccer 6 months ago 10k |

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Lionel Messi earns more money than most MLS teams combined. AFP

The MLS Players' Association (MLSPA) has unveiled the salaries of every player in the league's teams, and unsurprisingly, Argentina's Lionel Messi tops the list, ahead of Lorenzo Insigne and Xherdan Shaqiri.

Lionel Messi earns more money than most MLS teams combined. With bonuses, the $20m (€19.4m) earned annually by the 'Pulga' is more than 24 North American teams' salary budgets.

Inter Miami are therefore by far the team that have spent the most money since the arrival of the world champion, who has already scored 11 goals since his arrival before his muscle injury.

Former Napoli man Lorenzo Insigne is second on the list, with Toronto FC paying him $15.4 million a year (€14.6 million), almost half of what the Canadian club pays in wages.

Behind them, all the former stars of European football are present with salaries much lower than the first two: Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri of Chicago is on $8.1 million (€7.7 million), Mexico's Chicharito of the Los Angeles Galaxy is on $7.4 million (€7 million) and Italy's Federico Bernardeschi of Toronto is on $6.2 million (€5.9 million).

Messi's two former team-mates at Barca, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, earn less than 2 million dollars, far less than their friend.

However, the comparison with sporting results is clear: Orlando City, who spend just $9 million on wages - less than half that of Messi - are 2nd in the Eastern Conference and qualified for the play-offs, while Inter Miami are already eliminated.