MLS
What are the salaries of the Inter Miami players for the 2024 MLS season? Messi, Suárez, Busquets...
David Beckham has built a roster with several superstars in Florida, with Lionel Messi unsurprisingly topping The Herons’, and MLS’, wage bill.
Inter Miami are undoubtedly seen as one of the favourites to win the 2024 MLS Cup, with the new season getting underway on Wednesday at the newly-named Chase Stadium, where Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Co will host Real Salt Lake.
How did The Herons afford Messi?
Of course, the main reason the Floridians are so strongly fancied is because of the arrivals of four members of a superb Barcelona team, with Messi and Suárez teaming up in Miami with Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
The club, co-owned by David Beckham, have left no stone unturned in their attempt to attract some of world soccer’s biggest names, especially when having to compete for players with teams from across the globe who have serious financial backing behind them
Messi’s case is the most notable one. The Argentine’s move to Las Garzas was made possible thanks to the multimillion-dollar MLS/Apple broadcast partnership, which he received a piece of and has led to him being the object of several documentaries on the streaming platform in the last few months.
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How much do Messi, Suárez, Busquets and Alba earn at Inter Miami?
According to the official MLS Players Association website, which lists salary information for every player in the league, Messi is, unsurprisingly, the highest-paid player on any team, as of September 2023, the most recent update.
The data shows Messi has an annual base salary of $12 million, a figure which rises to $20.5 million once marketing and signing bonuses are factored in (guaranteed compensation).
The same website shows Busquets and Alba earn annual base salaries of $1.5 million and $1 million respectively, which puts them well down the overall list, especially when compared to their club teammate.
Súarez, meanwhile, doesn’t feature on the MLS Players Association’s most recent update after joining the club in January. However, it has been reported he will pick up an estimated $1.7 million in annual base salary, which is part of his $2 million in guaranteed compensation.