Snl24 | REVEALED: Messi, Blom, Mailula & co.’s lucrative MLS salaries!

ScoreLive October 24, 2023 0

Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) – $20 446 667

Major League Soccer has officially published the 2023 salaries of all the players in its top division, including the likes of Lionel Messi, Njabulo Blom, and Cassius Mailula.

It is no surprise that Messi is the highest-paid star in the United States since his blockbuster move in July after leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. His impact so far has been felt both on and off the pitch, with there having been a reported spike in commercial sales for the club and its sponsors, such as Apple TV.

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There has also been a surge in the number of celebrity attendees during matches, but perhaps more importantly, the Florida outfit’s fortunes on the pitch have significantly improved too, having won their maiden trophy, the MLS Leagues Cup in September. Messi was tremendous in that feat, being named the tournament golden boot winner with 10 goals in seven games.

Although quite predictable, the MLS’ recently released 2023 Salaries report reveals that Messi has a chart-topping guaranteed compensation of $20 446 667 (R390 million) per year. According to Goal, in total, the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner pockets around $135 million per season when his commercial earnings from the MLS and Apple TV are added to his wages.

His teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba earn $1 775 000 (R33.8 million) and $1 250 000 (R23.8 million) per annum, respectively, after they decided to join him at Miami. The Spanish duo left FC Barcelona as free agents at the end of last season, although the latter agreed to terminate his contract at the Camp Nou when he had one year remaining on that particular deal.

The South African MLS trio Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Blom, and Mailula are also earning relatively handsomely in contrast to their previous incomes in the DStv Premiership.

Hlongwane, who has been in the United States since January 2022, is getting a guaranteed $610 000 (R11.6 million) in earnings per season at Minnesota United. The KwaZulu-Natal native is currently the club’s top scorer across all competitions in 2023 with 17 goals. His transfer value has also dramatically risen, now standing at €5 million (R101 million) amid his stellar exploits in this latest campaign.

St. Louis City midfielder Blom is the second-best-paid South African with a guaranteed compensation of $338 250 (R6.4 million) in 2023. Meanwhile, Toronto FC forward Mailula is not too far behind with his $291 003 (R5.5 million) annual salary.

Other noteworthy stars plying their trade in the MLS include former Kaizer Chiefs defender Teenage Hadebe of Houston Dynamo, Toronto FC and ex-Italy talisman Lorenzo Insigne, and Barca’s La Masia graduate Riqui Puig, who is on the books of LA Galaxy. You can see what they are earning in the gallery below!