Major League Soccer has released its highest reported player salaries for the 2026 season, with Lionel Messi topping the list by a significant margin.

The Inter Miami forward is reported to earn $28.3m per season, more than double the income of the league’s second-highest earner.

Son Heung-min is second on the list with $11.2m following his move to LAFC, while Rodrigo De Paul ranks third on $9.7m after joining Inter Miami.

Hirving Lozano is fourth on $9.3m at San Diego FC, with Miguel Almirón fifth on $7.9m at Atlanta United. Emil Forsberg completes the top six on $6m at New York Red Bulls.

Further down the list, Sam Surridge, Riqui Puig, Jonathan Bamba and Hany Mukhtar are all among the top 10 earners, with salaries ranging between $5.4m and $5.9m.

The figures underline MLS clubs’ continued investment in established international players, but Messi remains in a category of his own financially, earning almost three times more than several players on the list.

The salary data was reported by The New York Times.