- Lionel Messi's new contract with Inter Miami has seen his base salary more than double to $25m (£18.5m), plus more than $28m in guaranteed compensation, according to the MLS Players’ Association.
- This substantial income means Messi earns over twice as much as the league's second-highest-paid player, Son Heung Min of Los Angeles FC, and his individual salary surpasses the entire payrolls of 28 of the 29 other MLS teams.
- Inter Miami now boasts the highest team payroll in the MLS at $54.6m (£40.4m), which is over $20m (£14.8m) more than second-placed LAFC and almost five times the league-low payroll of Philadelphia.
- Overall league compensation has reached $631m (£467m), with the average guaranteed compensation for players rising by nearly nine per cent since October.
- Messi signed a new three-year deal in October, extending his contract through the 2028 season, and has maintained strong performance with 59 goals in 64 regular-season games for Miami, including nine this season.
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