The Major League Soccer Players Association has released their first salary update of 2025 and there are no surprises about the league’s highest-paid player: It is once again 
Inter Miami CF‘s Lionel Messi.
For reference, here is the last salary release from the 2024 season.
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There are several new entrants on the top charts for players, though.
Top 10 Highest Paid MLS Players
Player
Team
2025 Salary
Lionel Messi
Inter Miami
$20,446,667
Lorenzo Insigne
Toronto FC
$15,400,000
Sergio Busquets
Inter Miami
$8,774,996
Miguel Almiron
Atlanta United
$7,871,000
Chucky Lozano
San Diego FC
$7,633,333
Federico Bernardeschi
Toronto FC
$6,295,381
Emil Forsberg
New York Red Bulls
$6,035,625
Jordi Alba
Inter Miami
$6,000,000
Riqui Puig
LA Galaxy
$5,779,688
Jonathan Bamba
Chicago Fire
$5,581,806
Key New Signings
A number of key new signings entered 
MLS this year and their salaries are being released for the first time, ditto for key free agent signings or players moved within the league.
Below is the top-12 highest paid newcomers of 2025.
Player
Team
2025 Salary
Miguel Almiron
Atlanta United
$7,871,000
Chucky Lozano
San Diego FC
$7,633,333
Jonathan Bamba
Chicago Fire
$5,581,806
Alexey Miranchuk
Atlanta United
$4,885,441
Evander
FC Cincinnati
$4,736,411
Emmanuel Latte Lath
Atlanta United
$4,030,546
Kevin Denkey
FC Cincinnati
$3,810,000
Brandon Vazquez
Austin FC
$3,551,778
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
New York Red Bulls
$3,530,667
David da Costa
Portland Timbers
$3,425,000
Dejan Joveljic
Sporting KC
$3,306,250
Wilfried Zaha
Charlotte FC
$2,751,667
- Almiron leads the way for newcomers, one of three Atlanta United players on this list.
- Emmanuel Latte Lath, the league-record signing ($22 million fee), gets a deal worth north of $4 million. Teammate Alexey Miranchuk, signed last summer, has a higher number listed for 2025 than initially last summer. Last summer he was listed at $3.69 million when he joined midseason and is now $4.89 million. The numbers changing isn’t abnormal for a summer signing and was part of the original deal.
- Kevin Denkey was briefly the league-record signing ($16 million fee) before Latte Lath joined. He comes in just under Latte Lath in salary.
- Denkey’s teammate Evander got a new contract as part of a huge cash trade to Cincy. He comes in at $4.74m. As he left Portland, the Timbers signed David da Costa, who makes the top 10 newcomers.
- Charlotte FC star winger Wilfried Zaha rounds out the list as the 12th-highest paid new signing.
All of those players are designated players. In terms of the salary cap, they hit the books the same. Below is a list of interesting numbers released that may impact the cap much differently.
Player
Team
2025 Salary
Pep Biel
Charlotte FC
$1,545,162
Josef Martinez
San Jose Earthquakes
$1,450,000
Tim Ream
Charlotte FC
$1,142,500
Jackson Yueill
New England Revolution
$1,086,750
Jack Elliott
Chicago Fire
$1,008,537
Mark Delgado
LAFC
$1,000,000
Ryan Kent
Seattle Sounders
$959,900
Tai Baribo
Philadelphia Union
$810,000
Oscar Urhoghide
FC Dallas
$643,982
Cavan Sullivan
Philadelphia Union
$364,000
- Pep Biel, who had been on loan through Aug. 1, is finalizing a deal to extend that loan through the end of the season. His $1.55 million salary is an issue for the winter if the club hope to keep him on a non-DP deal, as any transfer fee would be added to his budget charge.
-
Josef Martinez is the highest free agent to change teams, as the former
CF Montreal
forward signed with the
San Jose Earthquakes
. - The first full season of Tim Ream’s deal was revealed, after he joined Charlotte last summer.
- Jackson Yueill, signed by New England, was one of the most expensive free agents. Jack Elliott was a marquee free agent, signing with Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire.
-
Mark Delgado,
traded from LA Galaxy to LAFC
, signed a new deal with his new club. The first data release sees him at $1 million, after a final guaranteed compensation of $876,250 last year. - MLS Golden Boot leader Tai Baribo is at $810,000. One would imagine his agent will call Philadelphia upon the release of this data with new comps for contract talks.
- 15-year-old wonderkid Cavan Sullivan is listed at $364,000.
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