Lionel Messi’s salary at Inter Miami revealed - with MLS Cup winner earning more than twice the amount of LAFC’s former Tottenham star Son Heung-min

New figures highlighting the guaranteed compensation for players across Major League Soccer have confirmed that Messi remains the highest-paid individual in the history of the division.

The Inter Miami captain, who led his side to MLS Cup glory last season while claiming Golden Boot and MVP honours, is currently raking in a staggering annual salary that dwarfs the competition.

The Argentine legend’s base salary is supplemented by a range of commercial agreements, but even the guaranteed figures provided by the MLS Players Association show the massive gulf between the World Cup winner and the rest of the league's designated players.

The disparity in earnings is most notable when compared to other high-profile arrivals in the league, such as Son Heung-min. The former Tottenham winger, who joined LAFC in a landmark move for the Western Conference side, earns significantly less than the man in South Florida - who is now pulling in $28.3 million (£21m).

Official records indicate that Messi is currently earning more than twice the amount of the South Korea international.

Son remains one of the premier talents in the league and a vital component of the Los Angeles side's attacking threat, yet his compensation highlights the "Messi Exception" that exists within the MLS salary cap structure.

While Son is among the top five earners in the league, he still trails Messi's total guaranteed compensation when earning $11.1m (£8m) from his own deal.

Behind Messi, the list of top earners includes several familiar faces from European football who have made the jump across the Atlantic. Inter Miami team-mate and fellow World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul sits third on the wage chart, with Miguel Almiron and Hirving Lozano completing the top five.

Clubs like LAFC and the Galaxy have traditionally been the biggest spenders in the league, but the arrival of Messi has forced a recalibration of what a "superstar" contract looks like in the United States.

As the United States prepares to host the 2026 World Cup, these salary figures underscore the league's ambition to attract global icons during their peak or late-career years.

With more stars expected to join the league following the conclusion of the European season, the wage bill across Major League Soccer is projected to rise even further.

However, for the foreseeable future, Messi’s contract will remain the benchmark that every other designated player-including Champions League winners and Premier League icons can only look at from a distance.