Soccer salaries

What American soccer players have been paid, as their union and the press published it. The record is incomplete, and the seasons below are all of it so far.

Seasons on record

season	competition	players	total pay	highest paid	pay
2026	Major League Soccer	916	$630,955,755	Lionel Messi	$28,333,333
2025	Major League Soccer	944	$597,372,429	Lionel Messi	$20,446,667
2024	Major League Soccer	910	$542,566,145	Lionel Messi	$20,446,667
2023	Major League Soccer	924	$501,923,704	Lionel Messi	$20,446,667
2022	Major League Soccer	894	$460,167,441	Lorenzo Insigne	$14,000,000
2021	Major League Soccer	871	$364,119,961	Carlos Vela	$6,300,000
2020	Major League Soccer	778	$315,909,978	Carlos Vela	$6,300,000
2019	Major League Soccer	714	$294,165,171	Zlatan Ibrahimović	$7,200,000
2018	Major League Soccer	694	$261,123,321	Sebastian Giovinco	$7,115,556
2017	Major League Soccer	654	$214,920,611	Kaká	$7,167,500
2016	Major League Soccer	586	$181,050,408	Kaká	$7,167,500
2015	Major League Soccer	574	$167,569,743	Kaká	$7,167,500
2014	Major League Soccer	572	$129,531,839	Kaká	$7,167,500
2013	Major League Soccer	576	$95,078,142	Clint Dempsey	$5,038,566
2012	Major League Soccer	554	$99,257,881	Thierry Henry	$5,600,000
2011	Major League Soccer	525	$85,079,476	David Beckham	$6,500,000
2010	Major League Soccer	408	$71,003,263	David Beckham	$6,500,000
2009	Major League Soccer	388	$51,878,050	David Beckham	$6,500,000
2008	Major League Soccer	410	$47,292,509	David Beckham	$6,500,000
2007	Major League Soccer	371	$42,223,660	David Beckham	$6,500,000
2006	Major League Soccer	321	$27,390,744	Francisco Palencia	$1,360,000
2005	Major League Soccer	314	$22,358,194	Landon Donovan	$900,000
2004	Major League Soccer	165	$14,630,492	Freddy Adu	$500,000
1996	Major League Soccer	46	$5,039,109	Carlos Valderrama	$175,000
1925	American Soccer League (1921-1933)	1	$25 a week	Alex McNab	$25 a week

Pay is guaranteed compensation where the source gives it and base salary where it does not. Total pay sums it across every player on record that season.