MLS 2022 top 10 salaries: Highest earners
After signing with Toronto FC in July, Lorenzo Insigne will allegedly earn $12.42 million annually, making him the highest-paid player in MLS history. Which players currently rank as the league’s top 10 highest-paid players of all time?
Major League Soccer (MLS) has long been seen as a retirement hangout for renowned European stars. And while that has changed a bit in the more recent years, many of the highest earners over the competition’s 26 years have been women.
Based on data compiled by Capology, this article ranks the top 10 highest-paid MLS players of all time, according to those players’ base wages.
That rules out David Beckham, who Forbes estimates made $250 million in the United States between endorsement deals and his share of the club’s earnings while he played for the LA Galaxy. Not included were other superstars like Andrea Pirlo and Sebastian Giovinco.
Who then is chosen? Now, look at this.
1. Xherdan Shaqiri – $7.35million
The former Liverpool player Shaqiri signed a seven-year, $7.5 million contract with the Chicago Fire in February 2022 following a disappointing stint with Lyon. His annual salary will be $7.35 million, not including bonuses.
Because of the upcoming arrival of Insigne, his salary is expected to completely eclipse any previous MLS player’s salary. The Italian’s salary will exceed that of 17 of the league’s 28 clubs.
But, let’s get back to Shaqiri. Given that he hasn’t even had time to pull his socks up over his ridiculously huge calves yet, it may be too soon to judge, but his record of three goals and two assists through 12 games is encouraging.
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – $7.2million
Ibrahimovic’s stint with the LA Galaxy was pure box office, from the moment he scored a 45-yard screamer in his opening game against LAFC to the time he scored 52 more goals in 58 games and was named to two MLS All-Star XIs.
You wouldn’t think less of the huge Swede, though.
He humbly remarked, “I came, I saw, I conquered,” as he departed in 2019. The LA Galaxy is responsible for my renewed sense of vitality. I gave Zlatan to the Galaxy because they wanted him. Thank you very much.
3. Kaka – $6.66million
When at his best, the 2007 Ballon d’Or winner was a sight to behold on the football field. All of the running, passing, and scoring that goes into the game. He had everything one could want.
Even though Orlando City paid him a substantial contract to come to play for them in 2015, he had already abandoned a lot of his former success.
During the Brazilian’s three years in central Florida, Orlando’s point total dropped each season, and the club never made the playoffs.
Kaka told Globoesporte in October 2017 that he “does not experience joy in playing football anymore, as I feel pain every time I finish a match.”
A disappointing conclusion to what had been an otherwise stellar career. Kaka didn’t have a perfect game at the Citrus Bowl, but he did have his moments.
4. Steven Gerrard – $6.20million
We have it on good authority that Steven Gerrard requested an increase of $200,000 in his contract in order to boast that he was paid more than Lampard.
5. Bastian Schweinsteiger – $6.10million
Yet another ex-Manchester United player who didn’t belong in the red and white because he looked as out of place there as a polar bear would in the desert.
However, he proved to be a valuable asset for the Chicago Fire as he developed into a first-rate central defender. Weird? Very. Brilliant? Abso-fucking-lutely.
6.Javier Hernandez – $6.00million
We adored Chicharito during his time in the Premier League, and it appears that LA Galaxy’s front office shared our sentiments. Actually, they adored him so much that they offered him $6 million a year to join them in 2020.
His rookie year was a complete bust. The Galaxy faithful were probably not expecting him to score only twice in his first dozen appearances with the team after his transfer from Sevilla (and sure, we’d forgotten he had played for Sevilla, too).
After he had some time to himself, though, Hernandez returned to form in 2021, scoring 17 goals as his club narrowly missed the playoffs.
Highlighting his season was his hat trick against the New York Red Bulls in April.
7. Frank Lampard – $6.00million
Lampard, like many of his fellow City Group players, transferred to New York City FC from the Manchester franchise after just one season.
Though his time in Manchester was fruitful, his 18-month stint with Pirlo and Villa in the MLS was cut short by injuries as his age caught up with him (he was 37 at the time).
However, 15 goals in 31 games is not a terrible return.
His former manager, Patrick Vieira, had this to say about Frank before he left: “Everybody speaks about Frank’s goalscoring record from midfield, but I can tell you after working with him for a year, he adds so much more to a team than simply goals.
Frank’s expertise, elite mentality, and mentorship of the younger members of our squad have been invaluable this year, and he has added something just as vital to the locker room.
8. Michael Bradley – $6.00million
Bradley joined the same club as Defoe, a day before Defoe arrived from Tottenham, for the same transfer cost and salary. Those parallels end there, however.
While everything fell apart for Defoe, Bradley became a Toronto icon after appearing in over 250 games and helping the club achieve the 2017 MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield.
Bradley’s salary cut reflects his age, but he is still an integral part of the Toronto setup. He is hoping that Insigne’s arrival will bring some new life to a squad that finished second-to-last in the Eastern Conference in 2021.
9. Jermain Defoe – $6.00million
Defoe is the first of three Englishmen on this list, and when he signed with Toronto FC in 2014, he became one of the most expensive signings in MLS history.
In other words, that plan failed.
Defoe had an impressive start, tallying 12 goals in just 21 games. However, an injury put a stop to his progress, and he later clashed with Toronto’s upper management.
While Defoe was on the mend, Toronto FC president Tim Leiweke commented, “I personally don’t think Defoe will come back.” He should be removed from the premises if he has no desire to be there. The hell out of our way if you don’t want to be here.
Just a year and six days after leaving Spurs, Defoe returned to England with Sunderland.
10. David Villa – $5.61million
Villa, a genuine footballing legend in Spain, joined New York City FC after stellar stints with Valencia, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid, where he won three La Liga titles, a Champions League, two Copas del Rey, and a few super cups.
Having won the World Cup and the European Championship with the great Spain team of the late 2000s and early 2010s, it’s no surprise that NYCFC would pay a hefty sum to acquire his services.
They got their money’s worth, as he scored 80 times in 126 games for them in North America.