The Messi Effect: What's Behind Soccer's Billion Dollar Payroll? Lionel Messi's $28 million base salary has left many questioning the financial sustainability of Major League Soccer (MLS).
While some view this as a benchmark for top talent, others see it as a worrying trend that threatens the league's very fabric.
Inter Miami's astronomical payroll appears to be solely responsible for the eye watering figures, eclipsing LAFC by over $20 million and nearly five times more than Philadelphia's paltry $11. 7 million.