HIGHEST -PAID FOOTBALL PLAYERS IN 2026

 

LIONEL MESSI TOPS SON HEUNG MIN AS HIGHEST PAID MLS PLAYERS REVEALED

Lionel Messi tops Son Heung Min as highest paid MLS players revealed
Lionel Messi's salary has been confirmed by Major League Soccer

Getty

Lionel Messi more than doubled his salary to $25m (£18.5m) in his new contract with Inter Miami and earns more more than twice as much as the second-highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, Los Angeles FC's Son Heung Min.

Messi’s new contract includes $25m in base salary and more than $28m in guaranteed compensation, the MLS Players’ Association said in its first release of 2026 salaries. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner earns more than the payrolls of 28 of the other 29 MLS teams.

Miami's $54.6m (£40.4m) is more than $20m (£14.8m) higher than LAFC, which is second at $32.7m (£24.2m), and nearly five times as much as Philadelphia's league-low $11.7m (£8.65m). Miami's payroll is up from $46.8m (£34.6m) at the start of last season.

Total league compensation was $631m (£467m) and the average guaranteed compensation of $688,816 on 16 April was up nearly nine percent from the start of October.

Messi signed a new three-year contract through the 2028 season in October before leading Inter Miami to its first MLS title.

The Argentina captain has 59 goals in 64 regular-season games with Miami, including nine in 11 matches this season. He topped the MLS scoring charts with 29 goals last season and won his second straight MVP award.

His salary figures are for his MLS contract and include any marketing bonus and agents fees but do not account for any additional agreements with the team or its affiliates, or for any performance bonuses.

Lionel Messi tops Son Heung Min as highest paid MLS players revealed
Son Heung Min joined LAFC at the start of the season
Getty

Son is second at $10,368,750 (£7.7m) in base salary and $11.2m (£8.3m) in total compensation, the same as his figures last season. The 33-year-old winger joined LA from Tottenham last August.

Among the other highest earners in the league after former Newcastle creator Miguel Almiron ($7.9m; £5.84m) and Vancouver Whitecaps’ Thomas Muller, who earned $5.15m (£3.81m) after leaving Bayern Munich last summer.

Cincinnati centre-back Miles Robinson ($3.95m; £2.92m) was the top earner among likely inclusions in Mauricio Pochettino’s United States squad for the 2026 World Cup.

- Associated Press

HIGHEST-PPAID ENGLISH PLAYER IN THE WORLD

 

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TOP 5 HIGHEST-PAID MLS PLAYERS IN 2025: WHERE DOES MESSI STAND?

Ever since former Manchester United great David Beckham moved to the United States by signing for LA Galaxy in 2007, the country’s Major League Soccer has been perceived differently.

Whereas soccer superstars would traditionally opt to see out their careers in lesser profile teams in Asia or even Europe, they now started seeing the United States as a good retirement place, as well as to give them a great platform to prepare for life after retirement.

In 2023, Lionel Messi joined a long list of football stars who had previously played for some of Europe’s elite clubs but chose to move to the United States at the twilight of their careers.

Unsurprisingly, he is one of the highest earners in the league. But where exactly does he rank among the five highest-earning players based in that country?

Pulse Sports brings you a detailed and fact-checked listicle on the Top 5 Highest-Paid MLS Players in 2025, showcasing the financial allure of Major League Soccer and its ability to attract global stars:"

 5 Emil Forsberg (New York Red Bulls)

Leipzig's Swedish midfielder Emil Forsberg (L) has signed a three-year contract extension Emil Forsberg joined New York Red Bulls in 2024. Image || FILE
 

After a successful career in Europe with RB Leipzig, Emil Forsberg joined the New York Red Bulls in 2024. 

His creative midfield play and knack for scoring crucial goals have made him a standout performer.

According to a list released by MLS in 2024, Forsberg earns a reported $6,035,625.00 a year for his contributions in helping New York achieve their targets.

4.  Federico Bernardeschi (FC Toronto)

Federico Bernardeschi joined Toronto in 2022. Image || MLS
 

Fourth on our list is Euro 2020 winner Federico Bernardeschi, who joined FC Toronto in 2022 after a five-year spell in Turin.

A quick, strong, creative, technically gifted, and hard-working player, Bernadeschi joined as a designated player on a four-year contract; he reunited with Italian compatriots Lorenzo Insigne (more on him later)  and Domenico Criscito.

He has scored 22 goals in 79 league appearances for the side, showing his importance to the side, and why he is on his salary package.

The former Juventus forward earns an estimated $6,295,381.00 annually.

3. Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami FC)

Inter Miami announce Sergio Busquets Inter Miami when they announced Sergio Busquets' arrival in 2023. Image || Inter Miami
 

The first of two Barcelona academy products on the list, Sergio Busquets is considered one of the greatest deep lying playmakers of all time given the influence he has had in helping both his former employers and the Spain national team dominate games.

Busquets brings his world-class midfield expertise to the MLS. His presence has strengthened the team's core, and his earnings highlight his value to the club.

He helped the side win the MLS Eastern Conference title in 2024, but they were knocked out of the playoffs at the quarter-final stage. Regardless, his brand has helped elevate the status of Inter Miami, and as a result, his $8,774,996.00 annual earnings justify that.

2. Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto FC)

"The Italian winger remains a key figure for Toronto FC, both on and off the pitch. Insigne's technical brilliance and leadership have made him indispensable to his team. 

After a 13-year spell for his boyhood club Napoli, a period in which he was able to represent his country at the 2014 World Cup, as well as the 2016 and 2020 UEFA European Championships (winning the latter), he opted to move to Canada.

Now, the winger earns a mammoth $15,400,000.00, and his  salary reflects his status as one of the league's marquee players.

1. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)

Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi | Credit: Imago Lionel Messi is the MLS' highest paid player. Image || FILE
 

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi tops the list as the highest-earning MLS player.

His move to Inter Miami in 2023 not only elevated the league's profile but also set new benchmarks for player earnings. 

Messi's contract includes lucrative revenue-sharing agreements with global brands like Apple and Adidas, making his financial package even more impressive. At 37, Messi continues to dazzle fans with his playmaking and goal-scoring abilities, proving that age is just a number.

While most players, including Messi’s arch-nemesis Cristiano Ronalo are now being attracted by the allure of Saudi Arabia, the MLS is still an attractive league for players who wish to elevate their profile and earnings in the twilights of their careers.

As MLS continues to expand and evolve, the salaries of its top players reflect the league's ambition to compete with the world's best.

- Mark Kinyanjui 

THE HIGHEST-PAID NBA COACHES OF 2025

 

STEPHEN CURRY MAKES NBA HISTORY

 

Stephen Curry is the only player in NBA history to be the highest-paid for eight consecutive seasons 💰🤑

🔸2024-25: $55.8M

🔸2023-24: $52M

🔸2022-23: $48M

🔸2021-22: $45.8M

🔸2020-21: $43M

🔸2019-20: $40.2M

🔸2018-19: $37.5M

🔸2017-18: $34.7M

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HIGHEST-PAID NFL PLAYERS: MOST GUARANTEED MONEY AT EVERY POSITION

 Who are the NFL's highest-paid players at every position? Plenty of record-setting deals have been made in the past year -- the quarterback position has been reset with a new highest-paid player four times. First Jalen Hurts, then Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert and finally Joe Burrow became the highest-paid player in NFL history as the 2023 season kicked off.

In August, Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson reset the tight end market and San Francisco 49ers DE Nick Bosa became the highest-paid defensive player. In June, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson shattered the record for most guaranteed money given to a non-quarterback on offense, getting $110 million guaranteed.

We tracked the best-paid players at 16 different positions -- including long-snapper -- and will keep the numbers updated as more records get broken. To get the full picture on the top earners in this league, we sorted positions by two categories, which in a few cases have the same player at No. 1:

Three-year average (APY)

Total guaranteed money

Salary information courtesy of Roster Management System.

Let's start with Burrow and the highest-paid quarterbacks:

Quarterback

Highest three-year APY:

1. Joe Burrow, $62.9 million

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends in 2030)

2. Jared Goff (DET), $57.3 million

3. Trevor Lawrence (JAX), $55 million

4. Justin Herbert (LAC), $53.3 million

5. Lamar Jackson (BAL), $52 million

6. Jalen Hurts (PHI), $51 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Deshaun Watson, $230 million

Signed: March 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Joe Burrow (CIN), $219.01 million

3. Patrick Mahomes (KC), $208.1 million

4. Trevor Lawrence (JAX), $200 million

5. Justin Herbert (LAC), $193.7 million

6. Kyler Murray (ARI), $189.5 million

Running back

Highest three-year APY:

1. Christian McCaffrey, $17.2 million

Signed: April 2020 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Jonathan Taylor (IND), $14 million

3. Alvin Kamara (NO), $12.7 million

4. Saquon Barkley (PHI), $12.6 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Christian McCaffrey, $36.3 million

Signed: April 2020 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Alvin Kamara (NO), $34.3 million

3. Jonathan Taylor (IND), $26.5 million

4. Saquon Barkley (PHI), $26 million

Wide receiver

Highest three-year APY:

1. Justin Jefferson, $35 million

Signed: June 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. A.J. Brown (PHI), $32 million

3. Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET), $30 million

4. Jaylen Waddle (MIA), $28.3 million

5. Cooper Kupp (LAR), $26.7 million

6. Stefon Diggs (HOU), $26.2 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Justin Jefferson, $110 million

Signed: June 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. A.J. Brown (PHI), $84 million

3. Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET), $77 million

4. Jaylen Waddle (MIA), $76 million

5. Cooper Kupp (LAR), $75 million

6. Tyreek Hill (MIA), $72.2 million

Tight end

Highest three-year APY:

1. Travis Kelce, $17.1 million

Signed: April 2024 (contract ends in 2025)

2. Darren Waller (NYG), $17 million

3. T.J. Hockenson (MIN), $16 million

4. George Kittle (SF), $15.3 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. T.J. Hockenson, $42.5 million

Signed: August 2023 (contract ends in 2027)

2. George Kittle (SF), $40 million

3. Mark Andrews (BAL), $37.6 million

Offensive tackle

Highest three-year APY:

1. Penei Sewell, $28 million

Signed: April 2024 (contract ends in 2029)

2. Laremy Tunsil (HOU), $25 million

3. Andrew Thomas (NYG), $24.2 million

4. Ronnie Stanley (BAL), $21.2 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Penei Sewell, $85 million

Signed: April 2024 (contract ends in 2029)

2. Ronnie Stanley (BAL), $64.1 million

3. Andrew Thomas (NYG), $61.9 million

4. Ryan Ramczyk (NO), $60.2 million

Guard

Highest three-year APY:

1. Chris Lindstrom, $21.8 million

Signed: March 2023 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Robert Hunt (CAR), $21 million

3. Quenton Nelson (IND), $20.9 million

4. Mike Onwenu (NE), $19 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Robert Hunt, $63 million

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Chris Lindstrom (ATL), $62.7 million

3. Quenton Nelson (IND), $60 million

Center

Highest three-year APY:

1. Frank Ragnow, $14 million

Signed: May 2021 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Lloyd Cushenberry (TEN), $12.6 million

3. Erik McCoy (NO), $12.5 million

4. Ryan Kelly (IND), $12.4 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Frank Ragnow, $42 million

Signed: May 2021 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Ryan Kelly (IND), $34 million

3. Erik McCoy (NO), $33 million

4. Lloyd Cushenberry (TEN), $30 million

Cornerback

Highest three-year APY:

1. Jaire Alexander, $21.8 million

Signed: May 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Jalen Ramsey (MIA), $20.6 million

3. Marshon Lattimore (NO), $20.3 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Denzel Ward, $71.25 million

Signed: April 2022 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Jalen Ramsey (MIA), $71.2 million

3. Marshon Lattimore (NO), $68.3 million

Safety

Highest three-year APY:

1. Antoine Winfield Jr., $21.03 million

Signed: May 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Derwin James Jr. (LAC), $19.6 million

3. Minkah Fitzpatrick (PIT), $18.6 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Antoine Winfield Jr., $45 million

Signed: May 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2.Derwin James Jr. (LAC), $42 million

T3. Minkah Fitzpatrick (PIT), $36 million

T3. Jessie Bates III (ATL), $36 million

Edge rusher

Highest three-year APY:

1. Nick Bosa, $34.7 million

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends in 2029)

2. T.J. Watt (PIT), $30.5 million

T3. Josh Allen (JAX), $30 million

T3. Brian Burns (NYG), $30 million

4. Myles Garrett (CLE), $26.7 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Nick Bosa, $119.9 million

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends in 2029)

2. Myles Garrett (CLE), $100 million

3. Josh Allen (JAX), $88 million

4. Brian Burns (NYG), $87.5 million

Defensive tackle

Highest three-year APY:

1. Chris Jones, $31.7 millon

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Aaron Donald (LAR), $31.6 million

3. Christian Wilkins (LV), $28 million

4. Derrick Brown (CAR), $24 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Chris Jones, $101 million

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Christian Wilkins (LV), $82.7 million

3. Quinnen Williams (NYJ), $66 million

4. Aaron Donald (LAR), $65 million

Off-ball linebacker

Highest three-year APY:

1. Roquan Smith, $20 million

Signed: January 2023 (contract ends 2027)

2. Fred Warner (SF), $19.5 million

3. Tremaine Edmunds (CHI), $19 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Roquan Smith, $60 million

Signed: January 2023 (contract ends 2027)

2. C.J. Mosley (NYJ), $51 million

3. Tremaine Edmunds (CHI), $45 million

Kicker

Highest three-year APY:

1. Justin Tucker, $6.2 million

Signed: August 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Matt Gay (IND), $5.9 million

3. Chris Boswell (PIT), $5.6 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Justin Tucker, $17.5 million

Signed: August 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Graham Gano (NYG), $13.2 million

2. Matt Gay (IND), $13 million

Long-snapper

Highest three-year APY:

1. Luke Rhodes, $1.67 million

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends 2027)

2. Joe Cardona (NE), $1.63 million

3. Zach Wood (NO), $1.62 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Tyler Ott, $2.8 million

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends 2026)

2. Thomas Hennessy, $2.62 million

3.Joe Cardona (NE), $2.6 million

Punter

Highest three-year APY:

1. Michael Dickson, $3.9 million

Signed: June 2021 (contract ends in 2025)

2. Jack Fox (DET), $3.6 million

3. Tress Way (WSH), $3.3 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Michael Dickson, $8.5 million

Signed: June 2021 (contract ends in 2025)

2. Jack Fox (DET), $7.5 million

2. Tress Way (WSH), $6.4 million

- ESPN staff

BREAKING NEWS: JUSTIN JEFFERSON HIGHEST-PAID WR IN NFL HISTORY ... Inking $140 Million Deal

 Justin Jefferson is getting PAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIID -- the Minnesota Vikings superstar agreed to a four-year, $140 million extension on Monday ... the richest contract for a non-quarterback in the history of the NFL.

The deal was announced just minutes ago ... with Adam Schefter saying a whopping $88.743 million will be due as soon as the standout wide receiver signs on the dotted line -- and $110 million overall is guaranteed.

Jefferson released a video addressing the monumental moment in his career ... captioning the post with a touching message for his fans.

The deal was announced just minutes ago ... with Adam Schefter saying a whopping $88.743 million will be due as soon as the standout wide receiver signs on the dotted line -- and $110 million overall is guaranteed.

Jefferson released a video addressing the monumental moment in his career ... captioning the post with a touching message for his fans.

"Something that once was a dream is now my reality," Jefferson said. "There are so many people that I can sit here and thank but you all know who you are that helped me along the way. But we ain’t stopping here…."

"There’s more to be done… SKOL!!!!!!!"

The deal will send shockwaves throughout the league, as it resets the receiver market.

Miami Dolphins superstar Tyreek Hill -- who has wanted a new contract for over a year -- took notice of Jefferson's payday ... saying, "JJettas that’s well deserved."

Jefferson now passes Los Angeles Chargers defensive star Nick Bosa as the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history -- he agreed to a five-year, $170 million salary back in September.

It's been quite the offseason for Jefferson -- prior to the extension, there were rumors he could have been shipped out of town ... but as it turns out, the exact opposite happened, as he's now staying put for the next five seasons.

Jefferson is by far one of the best wideouts in the game today ... racking up over 5,800 yards and 30 receiving touchdowns in four seasons.

Well deserved.

- TMZ Sports 

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