MLS salaries: Ibrahimovic tops rich list; TFC players paid handsomely
The Major League Soccer Players Association released its 2019 Salary Guide on Friday, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic topping his contemporaries with an annualized average guaranteed compensation of $7.2 million.
The Swede captains the LA Galaxy and is currently second in the scoring charts with 28 goals. He netted the winner in Wednesday's 2-1 victory at Real Salt Lake, which guaranteed his team's progression to the MLS postseason.
Toronto FC, meanwhile, continue their reputation as big-spenders with Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, and Alejandro Pozuelo all riding high in the earnings table. MLS top scorer Carlos Vela is fourth overall with an annual pay packet of $6.3 million, while Wayne Rooney - who is bound for Derby County in the offseason - earns slightly more than Atlanta United marksman Josef Martinez.
Top 10:
| Player | Team | Total Compensation ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Zlatan Ibrahimovic | LA Galaxy | 7.2M |
| Michael Bradley | Toronto FC | 6.5M |
| Jozy Altidore | Toronto FC | 6.3M |
| Carlos Vela | LAFC | 6.3M |
| Bastian Schweinsteiger | Chicago Fire | 5.6M |
| Ignacio Piatti | Montreal Impact | 4.4M |
| Alejandro Pozuelo | Toronto FC | 3.8M |
| Wayne Rooney | D.C. United | 3.5M |
| Josef Martinez | Atlanta United | 3.1M |
| Sebastian Blanco | Portland Timbers | 2.9M |
Selected others:
| Player | Team | Total Compensation ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Nicolas Lodeiro | Seattle Sounders | 2.5M |
| Nani | Orlando City | 2.5M |
| Tim Howard | Colorado Rapids | 2.5M |
| Diego Valeri | Portland Timbers | 2.4M |
| Carles Gil | New England Revolution | 2.3M |
| Gustavo Bou | New England Revolution | 2.1M |
| Albert Rusnak | Real Salt Lake | 2M |
| Maximiliano Moralez | New York City FC | 2M |
| Adi Fanendo | FC Cincinnati | 2M |
| Felipe Gutierrez | Sporting Kansas City | 1.6M |
| Vako | San Jose Earthquakes | 1.6M |
| Bojan Krkic | Montreal Impact | 1.5M |
| Gyasi Zardes | Columbus Crew | 1.5M |
| Bradley Wright-Phillips | New York Red Bulls | 1.4M |
| Ali Adnan | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1.3M |
| Brian Fernandez | Portland Timbers | 1.3M |
| Mauro Manotas | Houston Dynamo | 1.2M |
| Cristian Pavon | LA Galaxy | 1.2M |
| Omar Gonzalez | Toronto FC | 1.2M |
| Diego Rossi | LAFC | 1.1M |
| Heber Araujo dos Santos | New York City FC | 800K |
| Vito Mannone | Minnesota United | 600K |
| Michael Barrios | FC Dallas | 500K |
| Eduard Atuesta | LAFC | 500K |
| Kacper Przybylko | Philadelphia Union | 300K |
The smallest guaranteed compensation in 2019 is $56,250, with Minnesota United's Hassani Dotson, Toronto FC's Richie Laryea, and the New England Revolution's DeJuan Jones notable recipients of that sum.