Los Angeles FC’s Son Heung-min is the second highest-paid player in Major League Soccer behind Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, according to the latest update provided by the MLS Players’ Association on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
Heung-min earned $11.15 million in guaranteed compensation from LAFC, which acquired him in August with an MLS record transfer fee of $26.5 million.
Heung-min has quickly made an impact since joining MLS after a 10-year run with English Premier League club Tottenham. He won MLS Goal of the Year honors for his first career score, a free kick against FC Dallas on Aug. 23. He scored nine goals with three assists in 10 matches before the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Heung-min, a South Korean star widely regarded as one of the best Asian players of all time, also finished second behind Messi in all-time consumer product sales since joining MLS.
Messi remained the highest-paid player earning $20.45 million for the third straight season. However, that figure does not reflect the three-year contract extension he signed last week.
After leading MLS with 29 goals and 19 assists in 2025, Messi is expected to win MVP for the second consecutive season, and remain the highest-paid player in 2026.
Inter Miami remains the highest-spending club in MLS, guaranteeing $48.97 million to its players. However, the salaries of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba – the third and seventh highest-paid players in MLS, respectively – will be gone after they retire at the end of the 2025 season.
The Philadelphia Union, which won the Supporters’ Shield in 2025, had the third-lowest salary in MLS at $13.43 million.
Top 10 MLS players guaranteed salaries
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami): $20.45 million
- Son Heung-min (LAFC): $11.15 million
- Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami): $8.78M
- Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United): $7.87 million
- Hirving Lozano (San Diego FC): $7.63 million
- Emil Forsberg (New York Red Bulls): $6.04 million
- Jordi Alba (Inter Miami): $6 million
- Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy): $5.78 million
- Jonathan Bamba (Chicago Fire): $5.58 million
- Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC): $5.31 million
MLS teams guaranteed compensation spending in 2025
- Inter Miami: $48.97 million
- LAFC: $30.89 million
- Atlanta United: $28.48 million
- FC Cincinnati: $23.19 million
- Chicago Fire: $23.11 million
- Nashville SC: $22.44 million
- Portland Timbers: $22.44 million
- LA Galaxy: $22.26 million
- San Diego FC: $22.25 million
- New York Red Bulls: $22.07 million
- Columbus Crew: $19.22 million
- New England Revolution: $19.11 million
- Charlotte FC: $19.02 million
- New York City FC: $18.84 million
- Seattle Sounders: $18.25 million
- Vancouver Whitecaps: $17.77 million
- Sporting Kansas City: $17.61 million
- San Jose Earthquakes: $17.08 million
- St. Louis City SC: $16.93 million
- Houston Dynamo: $16.77 million
- Orlando City: $16.11 million
- Austin FC: $15.68 million
- Real Salt Lake: $15.66 million
- D.C. United: $14.92 million
- Colorado Rapids: $14.63 million
- Minnesota United: $14.54 million
- Toronto FC: $13.65 million
- Philadelphia Union: $13.43 million
- FC Dallas: $13.35 million
- CF Montreal: $12.92 million