The MLS (Major League Soccer) is a division climbing the ladder and is fairly close to being described as a top 10 league in the world.

The MLS is competing with the Saudi Pro League to attract big names to their teams as they battle to be the biggest league outside Europe. We’ve seen players from across the biggest leagues being targeted by the four big clubs in Saudi Arabia (Al-Nassr, Al Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli) as the Kingdom tries to disrupt the world of football.

Before the heavy investment in the Middle East, the MLS was the place to go to become a star on handsome money outside of Europe. Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, Andrea Pirlo, Kaka and David Beckham are just some names the MLS managed to capture.

So here are the highest-paid players currently in the MLS as per Capology. Quick note, we are going strictly off of their base salary. We are not including other endorsements or clauses that may be included in their contracts.

21-11

The standout among the lower earners on this list is £2.3 million-per-year Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who, despite stints with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, now earns his living in New York with the Red Bulls – a respectable career path for someone who was once an unknown quantity on the books at Stoke City.

Ryan Gauld, earning £200,000 more annually, is another familiar name. Once touted as a Scottish wonderkid and famously dubbed the “Scottish Messi” in 2012, his move to Sporting was meant to unlock that potential. Instead, a series of loan spells followed before he settled comfortably in Vancouver, still only 29 and earning just under £2.6 million a year.

Also in the 21-11 section is USA international Walker Zimmerman, failed Tottenham wonderkid Carles Gil, and Hertha Berlin’s second-youngest debutant, Hany Mukhtar, who has a phenomenal record of 93 goals and 56 assists in 206 Nashville SC appearances.

10

Christian Benteke

£3.3 million per year

Benteke found the back of the net on 86 occasions in the 10 seasons he has played in the Premier League, playing for the likes of Aston Villa, Liverpool and Crystal Palace. The Belgium international left Selhurst Park for the United States’ capital and has already established himself as a fan favourite at Audi Field.

Having played under Wayne Rooney for a short period of time, life is going pretty great for Benteke as the 34-year-old has so far scored 47 times in 93 MLS games while earning a cool £3.3 m per year.

9

Jonathan Bamba

£3.6 million per year

Jonathan Bamba joined LAFC in January 2024, arriving as a 27-year-old winger from Ligue 1 side Lille, where he had scored 38 goals in 178 appearances. He made an immediate impact, debuting against Portland and finding the net within 17 minutes.

In his first MLS season, Bamba logged 2,412 minutes across 30 matches (26 starts), tallying six goals and nine assists while creating 67 chances – the third-highest on the team. His 2025 campaign took off even further, producing eight goals and 11 assists in 28 appearances, earning him All-Star recognition and a spot in the MLS Best XI.

With a combined 14 goals and 20 assists across two seasons, Bamba ranks among LAFC’s most productive imports, his pace and vision redefining the club’s left flank as he proves to be worth every penny of the £3.6m he’s earning yearly.

8

Riqui Puig

£3.7 million per year

Riqui Puig’s La Masia days began with promise but ended in frustration. Once hailed as Andres Iniesta’s heir after his 2018 debut, the midfielder struggled for minutes amid Barcelona’s coaching changes and crowded midfield. After an unproductive loan at Girona, Xavi deemed him surplus in 2022 following 57 appearances and two goals.

Puig joined LA Galaxy on a free transfer that August and quickly found his form, registering three goals and five assists in his debut run. He followed up with nine goals and eight assists in 2023, earning All-Star honours, before leading the Galaxy to the 2024 MLS Cup with 17 goals and 12 assists.

Now with 29 goals and 24 assists in 77 games through October 2025, Puig has firmly established himself as one of MLS’s premier No. 10s, thankful that he was able to reshape his career after failing to follow the yellow brick road that many of Barca’s graduates take.

7

Emil Forsberg

£3.9 million per year

The well-known Swede is one of the newest star exports that the MLS has swooped up, having only completed his move to the Big Apple in January of this year. The RB Leipzig legend swapped a European Red Bull team for one Stateside, signalling the end of his career at the elite level.

He has gotten off to a flyer in America, with 32 goal contributions in the 57 games he has played. He has also captained the side for every game he has been available for.

6

Jordi Alba

£4.4 million per year

Jordi Alba’s career is one of sustained excellence. A La Masia product, he starred at Valencia before joining Barcelona, where he won five La Liga titles, five Copa del Rey trophies, the 2015 Champions League, and a Club World Cup. With Spain, he earned 93 caps, winning Euro 2012 and captaining the 2023 Nations League victory.

After joining Inter Miami in July 2023, he reunited with Lionel Messi, helping secure the Leagues Cup and 2024 Supporters’ Shield. On October 7, the 36-year-old announced his retirement at the end of the MLS season, but he will earn almost £5 million before he does finally hang up his boots for the final time and close the curtains on a trophy-laden career.

5

Hirving Lozano

£4.4 million per year

Hirving Lozano’s MLS journey began in January 2025 with San Diego FC, the league’s newest expansion team, after signing a four-year Designated Player contract through 2028. The move came with a reported $12 million transfer fee from PSV Eindhoven. At 30, the Mexican winger – once Serie A’s €42 million record signing at Napoli – has impressed in his debut season, despite injuries limiting him to fewer than 30 starts.

Lozano recorded nine goals and 10 assists, helping San Diego clinch a spot in the Western Conference finals on Decision Day. His status as the club’s marquee star for a vast Mexican-American fanbase no doubt helps him earn even more than what his base salary may suggest, too.

4

Miguel Almiron

£4.4 million per year

Made easily recognisable for his infectious smile from his days as an underrated cog in Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side, Miguel Almiron now plies his trade with Atlanta United.

In 31 appearances so far, the popular Paraguayan international has tallied six goals and four assists – perhaps not quite enough to justify his £4.4 million return. That said, his Premier League experience undoubtedly helped secure him a comfortable deal as the 31-year-old sees out his playing career ever-so slightly closer to home in the Americas.

3

Sergio Busquets

£6.2 million per year

Over the past year, Inter Miami have improved their squad drastically and now have one of the strongest sides in the MLS. Along with experienced MLS players such as DeAndre Yedlin, the Herons have added La Liga royalty to their ranks as Jordi Alba, Lionel Messi, and Busquets now all play for the Florida-based club.

Busquets is considered by many as the greatest defensive midfielder of all time, in a career that has seen him win nine La Liga titles, three Champions Leagues and a FIFA World Cup, he definitely has the CV to support the argument.

After 18 years at Barcelona, Busquets joined Inter Miami on a two-and-a-half-year deal worth a reported £6.2m a year. The chance to play in a city with a Hispanic culture and the opportunity to play with former teammates was more enticing to Busquets than a move elsewhere in Europe or Saudi Arabia.

2

Lionel Messi

£8.8 million per year

The only surprise here is that Lionel Messi, still among the best players in world football right now, isn’t top of the earners’ charts in the MLS, despite his outrageous record of 29 goals and 17 assists in his last 28 league outings.

Arguably the biggest name to enter the league aside from David Beckham, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has unsurprisingly made the MLS look like the walk in the park. At £8.8m-per-year and also a percentage of what the MLS earns from its deal with Apple TV, it was not cheap to bring the greatest player to ever live to the US.

The investment has already yielded results, with Messi being talismanic from the moment he arrived. He was a crucial part of the team who won the MLS Leagues Cup in 2023, the first piece of silverware in the club’s history, and he has since won the Supporters’ Shield in 2024, and recently signed a new contract to ensure he can continue building yet another formidable legacy in a new continent.

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1

Son Heung-min

£9.5 million per year

Heung-Min Son, Tottenham’s long-time captain, joined Los Angeles FC in a record $26 million transfer over the summer – the largest in Major League Soccer history. The 33-year-old South Korean forward, who most recently led Spurs to Europa League success, signed a contract that runs through to 2027 with options to extend to 2029.

His reported £9.5 million annual salary surpasses Messi’s at Inter Miami, making him the league’s highest-paid player. Son registered an assist in his LAFC debut, a 2-2 draw against the Chicago Fire. “It’s a dream come true,” he said, aiming to help the team contend for the MLS Cup ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The signing marks a major statement of intent for LAFC and further underscores MLS’s growing international profile.

All stats courtesy of Transfermarkt & Capology – accurate as of 24/10/2025