MLS: Messi Earns More Than 22 Teams Combined

The Argentine superstar's salary dwarfs the entire player payroll of more than half the league

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When Lionel Messi made his long-awaited move to Major League Soccer(MLS) last summer, he signed a two-year contract with Inter Miami CF worth $74 million, making him the highest-paid player in the league by a significant margin. In fact, Messi's salary is more than the combined player payroll of 22 of the 28 MLS teams.

According to the MLS Players Association, the average MLS salary in 2022 was $440,000. That means Messi's salary is roughly equivalent to the combined salaries of 165 average MLS players.

Of course, Messi is not an average player. He is one of the greatest players of all time, and his arrival in MLS has been a major boon for the league. His jersey is the best-selling in the league, and his games have drawn record crowds. He has also helped to raise the profile of MLS internationally.

But Messi's salary is still a major outlier, and it raises questions about the financial sustainability of MLS. The league has been growing rapidly in recent years, but it is still not as profitable as the major European leagues. And with Messi's salary setting a new benchmark, it is unclear how MLS teams will be able to compete with the lure of Europe's top clubs.

For now, though, Messi's arrival in MLS is a major coup for the league. He is a global superstar who will help to raise the profile of the league and attract new fans. But it remains to be seen whether MLS can sustain his salary and continue to grow in the years to come.