The highest-paid player in MLS is Lionel Messi of Inter Miami who earns a weekly wage of $1,057,692.
Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023 on a free transfer after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired. Messi is considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all time, and his high salary reflects his status as one of the most marketable athletes in the world.
Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for MLS club Inter Miami.
A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (eight), and most assists in La Liga (192) and the Copa América (17).
Lionel Messi also has the most international goals by a South American male (104). Messi has scored over 800 senior career goals for club and country, and has the most goals by a player for a single club (672).
Messi relocated to Spain from Argentina aged 13 to join Barcelona, for whom he made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004.
He established himself as a key player for the club within the next three years, and in his first uninterrupted season in 2008–09 he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football; at 22 years old, Messi won his first Ballon d’Or, becoming the youngest player ever to win the award.
After winning a record-setting seven Ballon d’Or awards, and a record six European Golden Shoes, Lionel Messi left Barcelona in August 2021 as a free agent, signing a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain. He won the Ligue 1 title in his debut season.
Messi has captained Argentina since 2011, and has led them to a Copa América title in 2021 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He was named the player of the tournament at both tournaments.
Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and has been described as the “best player of the world” by many critics, pundits, coaches, and current and former players. He has also been credited with inspiring a generation of footballers around the world.
