There is Lionel Messi, and then everyone else in MLS.
The international soccer superstar is paid between $70 million and $80 million per year — including ownership shares of Inter Miami — according to franchise co-owner Jorge Mas.
“The reason that I need to have sponsors and for them to be world-class is because players are expensive,” Mas told Bloomberg about the club’s recent naming-rights deal for its soon-to-open stadium with the Brazilian financial services company, Nu. “I pay Messi — worth every penny — but it’s $70 million to $80 million a year. Across everything.”
Nu Stadium, with a seating capacity of 26,700 near Miami International Airport, is slated to hold its first match on April 4.
The 38-year-old Messi, the Argentinian legend who joined Inter Miami in 2023, earns the highest base-salary in MLS at $12 million per season with guaranteed compensation of nearly $20.5 million, according to the league’s players association.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner signed a contract extension last fall through the 2028 season, but he also earns additional tens of millions each year in endorsements and in a revenue-sharing arrangement with Apple, the league’s broadcast partner.
“Leo changes everything for the better, from one point of view,” Inter Miami’s president of business operations Xavier Asensi told ESPN recently. “Since Lionel’s arrival, we reached the US Open Cup final, won the Leagues Cup, won the Supporters’ Shield, [recorded] a record number of points, qualified for the Champions League, won the MLS Cup, reached another Leagues Cup final, reached the Champions League semifinals and qualified for the Club World Cup.
“I think it’s quite obvious and evident that Lionel’s presence on the pitch, along with everything that has surrounded him, has allowed the club to perform better, and this is what I told you before: As a football club, we depend on what happens on the pitch.”
