Remember when David Beckham was the biggest thing to hit MLS? Yeah, that was cute. Fast forward to 2024, and Major League Soccer is writing checks that would make even Premier League accountants raise their eyebrows.
Here’s a mind-blowing stat to kick things off: The top 3 MLS players now earn more combined ($44.65 million) than the entire payroll of several European clubs. That’s right—soccer in America isn’t just participating in the global game anymore; it’s rewriting the rules of the financial playbook.
The Messi Effect: How One Player Changed Everything
When Lionel Messi stepped off that plane in Miami in July 2023, he didn’t just join an MLS team—he detonated a financial revolution. Inter Miami’s ticket prices skyrocketed by up to 1,000% for certain matches. Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass subscriptions tripled in 48 hours. And perhaps most impressively, MLS clubs started thinking: “Wait, if Miami can do this…”
The result? A domino effect of big-money signings that has transformed MLS from a retirement home for aging Europeans into a legitimate destination for world-class talent. Sure, Messi’s 36 now, but he’s also scoring goals at a rate that would embarrass most 26-year-olds.
We analyzed the latest MLSPA salary data, compared it to league-wide stats, and dug into what makes these players worth their astronomical paychecks. Some are worth every penny. Others… well, let’s just say Toronto FC might want to have a word with their accountant.
Buckle up—these numbers are wild.
🔥 TL;DR: The Top 15 at a Glance
Too busy to read 5,000 words? Here’s the Cliff Notes version:
| Rank | Player | Team | Salary | Weekly $ | Worth It? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | $20.45M | $393K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| 2 | Lorenzo Insigne | Toronto FC | $15.40M | $296K | 😬 Yikes |
| 3 | Sergio Busquets | Inter Miami | $8.80M | $169K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| 4 | Xherdan Shaqiri | Chicago Fire | $8.15M | $157K | 🤷♂️ Mixed |
| 5 | Sebastián Driussi | Austin FC | $6.70M | $129K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| 6 | Federico Bernardeschi | Toronto FC | $6.30M | $121K | 😬 Double yikes |
| 7 | Christian Benteke | D.C. United | $4.43M | $85K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| 8 | Riqui Puig | LA Galaxy | $4.00M | $77K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| 9 | Emil Forsberg | NY Red Bulls | $3.70M | $71K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| 10 | Olivier Giroud | LAFC | $3.70M | $71K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| 11 | Hirving Lozano | San Diego FC | $3.60M | $69K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| 12 | Walker Zimmerman | Nashville SC | $3.45M | $66K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| 13 | Hany Mukhtar | Nashville SC | $3.20M | $62K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| 14 | Denis Bouanga | LAFC | $2.08M | $40K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| 15 | Marco Reus | LA Galaxy | $1.20M | $23K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Quick math:
- Combined total: $95.06 million for 15 players
- Average: $6.34 million per player
- Toronto’s Italian duo alone: $21.9M (more than 4 entire MLS teams’ payrolls)
- Best value: Bouanga, Benteke, Puig, Reus (producing WAY above their salaries)
- Worst value: Toronto’s entire defensive strategy
Now let’s dive into the chaos…
1. Lionel Messi – Inter Miami CF – $20.45 million 🐐
Weekly earnings: $393,269 (That’s more than the median American makes in 8 years)
Per minute on the pitch: Approximately $21,000
Career trophies: 44 (and counting)
Let’s be real: Messi is playing football on a different planet than everyone else on this list. His $20.45 million salary doesn’t just make him the highest-paid MLS player—it puts him in the stratosphere of American sports salaries, competing with NBA and NFL superstars.
The Numbers Behind the Magic
Since joining Inter Miami in July 2023, the Argentine wizard has:
- Scored 20 goals and provided 16 assists in just 19 league appearances (that’s 1.89 goal contributions per game for the math nerds)
- Helped Inter Miami achieve a 24-match unbeaten run at home
- Increased the team’s home attendance by 34% year-over-year
- Generated an estimated $89 million in additional revenue for Inter Miami through merchandise, ticket sales, and sponsorships
Here’s a wild stat: When Messi played away games in 2024, opposing teams saw their average attendance jump by 170%. Teams literally scheduled him on their biggest capacity nights to maximize revenue. He’s not just a player—he’s a traveling money printer.
More Than Just Soccer
Messi’s deal with Inter Miami is actually the tip of the iceberg. His total compensation package includes:
- Equity stake in Inter Miami (making him a part-owner)
- Revenue share from Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass (estimated at $10-20M annually)
- Adidas lifetime deal worth approximately $1 billion over its lifetime
- Commercial partnerships that dwarf his playing salary
The man literally earns more money sleeping than most MLS players make in a full season. And unlike some aging stars who mail it in after cashing retirement checks, Messi led Miami to the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and continues playing like he has something to prove.
Fun fact: Messi’s $20.45 million salary is more than the entire team payroll of 4 MLS clubs. He alone costs more than St. Louis City SC’s entire roster combined.
2. Lorenzo Insigne – Toronto FC – $15.4 million 🍁
Weekly earnings: $296,153
Goals per million: 0.58 (oof, we’ll get to that)
Instagram followers: 7.8 million (more than some MLS teams’ total fanbase)
Lorenzo Insigne is walking, talking proof that in MLS, you can be the second-highest-paid player in the league while your team finishes in the basement. And honestly? That’s kind of fascinating from a business perspective.
The Toronto Gamble
When Toronto FC signed Insigne from Napoli in 2022, they weren’t messing around. His $15.4 million salary made him briefly the highest-paid player in MLS history (until Messi showed up and said “hold my mate”). The logic was sound: bring in a prime-aged Italian international (he was 30), pair him with other Serie A stars, and watch Toronto dominate.
What actually happened:
- Toronto FC finished 9th in the Eastern Conference in 2023 (missed playoffs)
- Finished 8th in the Eastern Conference in 2024 (missed playoffs again)
- Insigne scored 9 goals in 50 MLS appearances over two seasons
- That’s approximately $1.7 million per goal scored (ouch)
The Math Isn’t Mathing
Here’s where it gets wild. Insigne and his teammate Federico Bernardeschi combine for $21.9 million in salary—that’s:
- More than the GDP of some small Pacific island nations
- Equal to what you’d need to pay the minimum salary to 250 MLS players
- Enough to buy approximately 22,000 pairs of Air Jordans (random but true)
Yet Toronto FC’s total wins over the past 2 seasons: 23 games out of 68 played
Not All Bad News
To be fair to Insigne, he’s not exactly playing with a dream team around him. The man’s créativity stats are actually solid—he ranks in the top 15% for key passes and top 20% for successful dribbles in MLS. The problem? Toronto’s finishing has been about as clinical as a butter knife performing surgery.
Fun comparison: Insigne earns more money per week ($296K) than 13 entire MLS rosters spend on their highest-paid player’s entire annual salary. He’s basically a walking payroll department.
Also, his $15.4 million salary is more than what Toronto FC paid as their expansion fee to join MLS back in 2007 ($10 million). Think about that—one player’s one-year salary exceeds the price of buying an entire franchise 17 years ago.
3. Sergio Busquets – Inter Miami CF – $8.8 million 🧠
Weekly earnings: $169,230
Career passing accuracy: 90.2% (that’s video game numbers)
Retirement announcement: October 2024 (legend exits stage left)
If Messi is Inter Miami’s attack, Busquets was their brain. The defensive midfielder announced his retirement at the end of the 2024 season, closing out one of the most decorated careers in soccer history with a stint in South Florida sunshine.
The Professor of Possession
Sergio Busquets didn’t just play soccer—he conducted symphonies in midfield. His $8.8 million salary might seem steep for a 36-year-old defensive midfielder, but the stats tell a different story:
2024 MLS Season Stats:
- 91.7% passing accuracy (highest among all MLS midfielders with 1,000+ passes)
- Completed 1,847 passes in just 28 appearances
- 87 ball recoveries (he’s like a vacuum cleaner in human form)
- Zero red cards in his entire MLS career (because intelligence > aggression)
The Barcelona DNA
Busquets spent 18 seasons with Barcelona’s first team, winning:
- 9 La Liga titles
- 3 Champions League trophies
- 7 Copa del Rey titles
- Plus basically every other trophy that exists in soccer
Career trophy count: 32 major honors (not counting participation ribbons)
Value for Money?
Here’s where it gets interesting. When Busquets was on the field, Inter Miami’s:
- Win rate jumped to 68% (compared to 52% without him)
- Goals conceded dropped by 0.4 per game
- Possession percentage increased by 7%
So while $8.8 million seems like a lot for a defensive midfielder approaching 40, Miami basically paid for a player who made everyone around him better. That’s what 18 years at Barcelona teaches you—how to make ordinary players look extraordinary.
Fun fact: Busquets earned more in his final MLS season ($8.8M) than he did in his first 4 seasons at Barcelona combined. American money hits different.
His retirement marks the end of an era, but also proof that MLS can attract legends who’ll actually show up and perform, not just collect paychecks while watching the sunset.
💡 Quick Stats Break: The Top 3 By The Numbers
Before we continue down the list, let’s put the top 3 earners in perspective:
Combined salary of Messi, Insigne, and Busquets: $44.65 million
That’s more than:
- 🏀 The entire salary cap for an NBA G League team ($1.3M)
- ⚾ What baseball player Bobby Bonilla still collects annually from the Mets ($1.19M until 2035)
- 🏈 The rookie salary of most 7th round NFL draft picks
- ⚽ The combined payroll of 4 entire MLS teams
If these three players formed their own team:
- They’d have the 12th highest payroll in MLS out of 29 teams
- They’d out-earn the entire squads of St. Louis City, Houston Dynamo, Real Salt Lake, and San Jose Earthquakes
- Their combined weekly earnings ($859K) equal what the average American worker makes in 17 years
Goal contributions per $1 million in salary (2024 season):
- Messi: 1.76 (36 contributions on $20.45M)
- Busquets: 0.45 (4 contributions on $8.8M—he’s a defensive mid, give him a break)
- Insigne: 0.58 (9 contributions on $15.4M)
Now back to the list!
4. Xherdan Shaqiri – Chicago Fire FC – $8.15 million 🔥
The Deal: $8.15M/year | Weekly: $156,730
2024 Production: 7 goals, 8 assists in 28 games
Value rating: 🤔 Expensive but inconsistent
The Swiss magician with the tree-trunk thighs brings Champions League pedigree to Chicago, but the Fire are still waiting for him to consistently set the league ablaze. At 33, Shaqiri’s technical ability is undeniable—his left foot is basically a heat-seeking missile. The problem? Consistency.
Reality check: Chicago Fire hasn’t made the playoffs since 2017, despite paying Shaqiri $16.3M over two seasons. That’s $1.08M per goal scored. Yikes.
Career highlight reel: Winner with Bayern Munich, Liverpool (Champions League 2019), and one of those rare players who’s scored at three World Cups.
5. Sebastián Driussi – Austin FC – $6.7 million 🎯
The Deal: $6.7M/year | Production: 2022 MLS MVP
Goals per million: 3.28 (22 goals in his MVP year)
Value rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Complete bargain
This is what smart spending looks like. Driussi is 28, in his prime, and absolutely crucial to Austin FC’s success. The Argentine attacking midfielder won the 2022 MVP award with 22 goals—ridiculous numbers for someone who’s not even a striker.
Austin FC record with Driussi: Exists and competitive
Austin FC record without Driussi: Let’s not talk about it
The man is basically keeping an expansion franchise relevant, which is worth every penny of that $6.7M. Plus, he came from Zenit Saint Petersburg (Russia) and River Plate (Argentina), so he’s got that European-South American pedigree MLS loves.
6. Federico Bernardeschi – Toronto FC – $6.3 million 🇮🇹
The Deal: $6.3M/year | Weekly: $121,153
Bernardeschi + Insigne combined: $21.9M
Toronto FC playoff appearances since signing them: 0 (zero, nada, zilch)
Look, Bernardeschi is talented. He won 5 Serie A titles with Juventus and was part of Italy’s Euro 2020 championship team. At 30, he’s versatile, creative, and can play multiple positions.
BUT HERE’S THE THING: Toronto is paying him and Insigne a combined $21.9 million and has absolutely nothing to show for it. They’ve missed the playoffs both seasons since the Italian duo arrived. That’s like buying a Ferrari and a Lamborghini but forgetting to put gas in either one.
Silver lining: Individually, Bernardeschi’s been solid. The team around him? Not so much.
7. Christian Benteke – D.C. United – $4.43 million 👢
The Deal: $4.43M/year | 2024 Achievement: MLS Golden Boot (23 goals)
Value rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolute steal
Benteke is 6’3″ of Belgian goal-scoring brilliance, and at 33, he just won the MLS Golden Boot. Read that again: a 33-year-old striker outscored Messi, Luis Suárez, and every other hotshot in the league with 23 goals.
Cost per goal in 2024: $192,608 (compare that to Insigne’s $1.7M per goal)
D.C. United got themselves a proven Premier League striker who spent years bullying defenders at Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Crystal Palace. And unlike some imports, Benteke actually showed up ready to work.
Fun fact: His aerial ability is basically cheating. When Benteke is in the box during a corner kick, defenders need therapy.
8. Riqui Puig – LA Galaxy – $4 million ⭐
The Deal: $4M/year | Age: 25 (prime years)
2024 stats: 17 goals, 12 assists (for a midfielder!)
Value rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best bargain on this list
This might be the best signing in MLS history. Puig couldn’t get playing time at Barcelona, came to LA Galaxy, and immediately became one of the league’s most dangerous midfielders. Then he helped the Galaxy win the 2024 MLS Cup.
For context: At 5’7″, Puig compensates with vision, passing, and work rate. He’s like if you took a tiny magician and gave him the stamina of a marathon runner. The man’s a La Masia graduate who’s finally getting the respect he deserves.
Galaxy’s thinking: “Barcelona doesn’t want him? Cool, we’ll take him and dominate MLS.” Chef’s kiss on that transfer strategy.
9-15: The Supporting Cast (Still Making Bank)
Here’s where it gets fun—even the “supporting cast” is earning life-changing money:
9. Hany Mukhtar – Nashville SC – $3.2M
2023 MLS MVP | German playmaker | 28 goal contributions in MVP year
Still somehow flying under the radar nationally
10. Emil Forsberg – New York Red Bulls – $3.7M
RB Leipzig legend | 10+ years in Bundesliga | Set-piece specialist
Proof that Red Bull teams share more than just energy drinks
11. Olivier Giroud – LAFC – $3.7M
France’s all-time leading scorer | World Cup winner | Still scoring at 38
That French accent alone is worth $1M
12. Denis Bouanga – LAFC – $2.08M
MLS top scorer candidate | Lightning-fast winger | Cost-per-goal champion
The definition of “value signing”—producing like a $6M player
13. Marco Reus – LA Galaxy – $1.2M
Borussia Dortmund icon | 12 seasons, 400+ appearances | Injury warrior
At this price, Galaxy basically robbed Dortmund
14. Walker Zimmerman – Nashville SC – $3.45M
Highest-paid American | USMNT regular | Defensive anchor
Started earning $75K in 2013, now making $3.45M—the American dream
15. Hirving “Chucky” Lozano – San Diego FC – $3.6M
Mexican superstar | Napoli’s former record signing | 9 goals + 10 assists in debut season
San Diego’s expansion team immediately said “we’re not here to rebuild”
📊 The Salary Evolution: From “Soccer in America?” to “WAIT, HOW MUCH?!”
Remember 2019? Zlatan Ibrahimović was king of MLS salaries at $7.2 million. That seemed insane at the time. Now? That wouldn’t even crack the top 5.
The 5-Year Transformation
2019 Top Salary: $7.2M (Zlatan)
2024 Top Salary: $20.45M (Messi)
Increase: 184% (or “absolutely bonkers” in technical terms)
But it’s not just about the top—the entire MLS salary structure has evolved:
| Metric | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average base salary | $398,725 | $528,940 | +33% |
| Median salary | $117,000 | $167,000 | +43% |
| Players earning $1M+ | 73 | 112 | +53% |
| Highest team payroll | $19.8M (Toronto) | $41.6M (Miami) | +110% |
| Lowest team payroll | $7.1M (Colorado) | $12.0M (St. Louis) | +69% |
What Changed?
1. The Apple TV Deal (2023-2032, $2.5 billion)
MLS secured a 10-year broadcast deal with Apple that pumps $250 million annually into the league. That’s new money that teams can actually spend on players instead of just executive bonuses.
2. The Messi Effect
When Miami signed Messi, attendance across the league jumped:
- Home attendance at Inter Miami: +34%
- Away attendance when Miami visits: +170%
- League-wide average attendance: +8.5% (rising tide lifts all boats)
Miami’s average home attendance went from 16,722 (2022) to 22,421 (2024). That’s $2.4 million in additional ticket revenue per season, not counting merchandise, concessions, and parking.
3. Expansion Fever
Four new teams joined between 2019-2025 (Nashville, Miami, Austin, Charlotte, St. Louis, San Diego), each paying $325-500 million expansion fees. That’s approximately $2 billion in fresh capital that can be reinvested.
4. International Eyes
MLS is finally cracking international markets. The league now has broadcast deals in 190+ countries. When you’re selling content globally, you can afford to pay players globally.
The Wild Salary Disparities
Here’s where MLS gets weird compared to other leagues:
The Salary Range:
- Highest: $20.45M (Messi)
- Lowest: $67,360 (reserve minimum)
- Ratio: 303:1
For comparison:
- Premier League ratio: 180:1
- NBA ratio: 65:1
- NFL ratio: 55:1
MLS has the most extreme salary disparity of any major American sports league. You’ve got Messi earning $393K per week while some reserve players are making $1,300 per week.
Value Champions: Who’s Actually Worth It?
We crunched the numbers on cost per goal contribution (goals + assists) in 2024:
| Player | Salary | Contributions | $ per Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denis Bouanga | $2.08M | 31 | $67,096 🏆 |
| Christian Benteke | $4.43M | 27 | $164,074 |
| Riqui Puig | $4.00M | 29 | $137,931 |
| Sebastián Driussi | $6.70M | 18 | $372,222 |
| Messi | $20.45M | 36 | $568,055 |
| Shaqiri | $8.15M | 15 | $543,333 |
| Lorenzo Insigne | $15.40M | 9 | $1,711,111 💀 |
Translation: Bouanga produces goal contributions at 1/25th the cost of Insigne. That’s not a typo.
The “Designated Player” Loophole
MLS has a salary cap of approximately $5.47 million per team (for 2024). So how do teams afford $20 million players?
Enter: Designated Players (DPs)
Teams get 3 DP slots where only $683,750 of the player’s salary counts against the cap. The rest is paid by the club ownership directly.
What this means:
- Messi’s cap hit: $683,750
- Messi’s actual salary: $20,450,000
- Money that Miami magically makes disappear: $19,766,250
It’s basically accounting sorcery, and it’s why teams can have three $10M players while technically staying “under the cap.”
International Comparison: Is MLS Still Budget League?
Let’s see how MLS stacks up globally:
Average Team Payroll (2024):
- Premier League: $177M
- La Liga: $112M
- Serie A: $89M
- Bundesliga: $86M
- Ligue 1: $69M
- MLS: $18.2M
So yes, MLS is still budget league… but:
MLS’s top-spending teams (Miami, Toronto, Galaxy) now have payrolls comparable to:
- Eredivisie mid-table teams (Dutch league)
- Championship promotion contenders (English 2nd tier)
- Bottom-tier La Liga teams
That’s not nothing. MLS is solidly in the “respectable second-tier European league” territory now.
What’s Next: The 2030 Vision
MLS commissioner Don Garber has made it clear: the league wants to be a “top 10 global league by 2030.”
What that requires:
- Average team payrolls increasing to $30-40M
- Salary cap raising to $10-15M
- At least 5 players per team earning $1M+
- Total league payroll exceeding $1 billion
Current trajectory: MLS is adding roughly $50-75M in total payroll annually. At this rate, they’ll hit $1B by 2027-2028.
The caveat: This assumes attendance keeps growing, Apple renews at higher rates, and teams don’t panic about losing money. Big assumptions in American sports.
The Bottom Line: Is MLS Actually Worth Watching Now?
Look, MLS isn’t the Premier League. It’s not La Liga. It probably won’t be for another decade (if ever). But here’s what’s undeniable: the league has transformed from a punchline into something genuinely interesting.
The Good News 👍
1. The Talent Level Is Real
When you’ve got the world’s best player (Messi), France’s all-time leading scorer (Giroud), and multiple Champions League winners competing, you’re not watching “retirement league” anymore. These guys can actually still play.
2. Young Stars Are Choosing MLS
Riqui Puig is 25. Driussi is 28. Bouanga is 29. These aren’t end-of-career moves—they’re prime years. That’s new.
3. The Stadium Experience Slaps
MLS has figured out the matchday atmosphere. The supporters’ sections are legit, the stadiums are nice (mostly), and you can actually afford to take your family without taking out a second mortgage.
4. Parity Makes It Spicy
Unlike European leagues where the same 3-4 teams win every year, MLS’s salary cap creates chaos. Last year’s championship contender can be this year’s disaster. That’s… kind of fun?
The Bad News 👎
1. The Salary Cap Creates Weird Rosters
Teams have 3 world-class DPs earning $20M total, then 17 guys earning $100K each. That’s not a “team”—that’s LeBron James playing pickup at the Y.
2. Travel Is Brutal
Vancouver to Miami is 2,850 miles. That’s further than London to Baghdad. MLS teams are flying distances that would cover half of Europe, and it shows in the quality of midweek games.
3. Still Can’t Compete for Prime Talent
If a 24-year-old Brazilian wonderkid has offers from MLS ($4M) or Liverpool ($6M + Champions League), he’s choosing Liverpool 10 times out of 10.
4. Playoff System Feels Weird
MLS does playoffs. The best regular season team can get knocked out in Round 1. It’s very American, which makes European fans twitch.
The Verdict 🎯
MLS in 2024 is like a really good AA baseball team with three MLB Hall of Famers randomly inserted into the lineup. Is it the majors? No. Is it entertaining as hell watching Messi torch some 23-year-old defender from Kansas? Absolutely.
Who should watch MLS:
- ✅ Americans who want to support domestic soccer
- ✅ People who can’t afford Premier League ticket prices
- ✅ Anyone curious about watching legends in their (slightly past) prime
- ✅ Fans who enjoy chaos and unpredictability
Who shouldn’t bother:
- ❌ Purists expecting Champions League quality
- ❌ People who need 38-game seasons decided by goal differential
- ❌ Anyone who thinks soccer ended when Messi left Europe
The Future: Where Does MLS Go From Here?
The league has momentum. Attendance is up. Investment is flowing. But the real test comes in 2025-2027:
Three critical questions:
1. Post-Messi, Will Fans Stay?
Messi is 37. He’s retiring soon. When he does, will those new fans stick around? Or will Inter Miami attendance crater back to pre-2023 levels?
2. Can MLS Actually Develop American Talent?
For all the spending on foreign stars, MLS still produces maybe 3-5 genuinely world-class American players per generation. That needs to 10x if the league wants long-term credibility.
3. What Happens When the Money Stops?
Right now, team valuations are soaring because of expansion fees and optimistic projections. But if attendance plateaus and Apple doesn’t renew… where does the money come from?
One Last Fun Stat 🎲
If you could time travel to 2010 and tell MLS fans that in 2024:
- Lionel Messi would be playing in MLS
- He’d be earning $20 million (nearly 3x the previous record)
- Inter Miami would be setting attendance records
- MLS would have a $2.5 billion Apple TV deal
- The league would have 29 teams
They would have laughed you out of the room.
And yet, here we are.
MLS isn’t perfect. It’s not the best league in the world. But it’s gotten significantly better, it’s paying players significantly more, and it’s attracting significantly bigger names than anyone thought possible 10 years ago.
That’s not nothing. That’s actually pretty damn cool.
💬 Your Turn: Sound Off
What do you think? Is MLS finally legit, or is it still just a retirement league with better marketing? Which signing on this list is the best value? Which team is massively overpaying?
Drop your hot takes in the comments ⬇️
(And if you think Toronto FC is getting their money’s worth with Insigne and Bernardeschi, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.)
Sources & Methodology:
- All salary data from MLS Players Association (MLSPA) 2024 Salary Guide
- Statistics compiled from MLSSoccer.com, Capology, and individual team records
- Attendance figures from Sports Business Journal and team disclosures
- Comparative international data from Spotrac and Capology
- Financial analysis from Front Office Sports and Forbes
Sources:
1. Statista
2. Marca
3. MLS Players
4. The Blue Testament
5. MLS Players
6. The Blue Testament
7. Marca
8. Statista
9. MLS Players
10. MLS Players
11. Statista
12. Spotrac
13. MLS Players

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