Petty compared to what Messi would earn? These are Vanzier and Benteke’s wages in MLS | MLS
How much do professional soccer players earn? A lot of money, it’s no secret. But while Europe has always been secretive about player wages, in the NFL they are quite clear about what players earn. These are the top earners in Major League Soccer, although Lionel Messi would rock the top in a big way.
Bentic is in the top ten list of high earners
Every year after the first transfer window, Major League Football Players Association (MLSPA), Major League Soccer’s Players Association, Players’ Wages.
Xherdan Shaqiri earns €7,524,077 annually, including basic salary and bonuses. The Chicago Fire Switzerland international is the highest paid soccer player in MLS.
Shaqiri’s top 10 is followed by a string of players from Europe upon their return. One of them is Belgian. Christian Benteke, who plays for DC United, is ninth with around €4.1m.
A little further down the line we find two, yes two, Belgians. Dante Vanzier, who continues to be heavily criticized in the United States for his racist remarks, is the highest paid New York Red Bulls player with €1.3 million.
Another Belgian is Logan Ndenby from Kansas City. With €365,000 he’s not a top earner, but that’s not bad for an unknown 23-year-old, who played 13 games for Ostend between 2018 and 2020.
| Top 10 highest-earning MLS players | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Xherdan Shaqiri (Zwi) | Chicago fire | 7.5 million euros |
| 2. | Lorenzo Insigne (Ita) | Toronto F.C | 6.9 million euros |
| 3. | Javier Chicharito Hernandez (MX) | Los Angeles Galaxy | 6.8 million euros |
| 4. | Federico Bernardeschi (Italy) | Toronto F.C | 5.8 million euros |
| 5. | Sebastien Driussi (ARG) | Austin F.C | 5.5 million euros |
| 6. | Hector Herrera (mix) | Houston Dynamo | 4.8 million euros |
| 7. | Douglas Costa (Brazil) | Los Angeles Galaxy | 4.1 million euros |
| 8. | Luiz Araujo (Brazil) | Atlanta United | 4.1 million euros |
| 9. | Christian Benteke (Bale) | D.C. United | 4.1 million euros |
| 10. | Joseph Martinez (Vinn) | Intermiami | 4.0 million euros |
Transparency and fair play above all
While all teams in European soccer fear revealing player salaries, in the United States this has long ceased to be an issue.
The idea behind it is that, thanks to this transparency, more financial fair play is created. Something that has long been sought after in Europe.
As in major American sports such as the NBA, NFL, and NHL, MLS also had its own salary capthe maximum salary.
A player in MLS can still earn a maximum of €600,000 per year without bonuses such as signing money or brokerage fees. The exception to this rule is specific players. Each club is allowed to have 3 players on their payroll who are not subject to these salary cap.
This exception was created to still be able to attract star players, especially from Europe, to the American competition and thus improve their competition.
Xherdan Shaqiri, the highest gainer in the NBA
View the salaries of all players in the tweet
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