Son Heung-min receives higher salary than Messi

Son Heung-min's salary in MLS surpasses Lionel Messi's.

According to Chosun , in the list of 22 highest-paid players in MLS in the 2025 season, Son Heung-min leads with an income of 21.2 million USD /year. Messi is in second place with 20.45 million USD /year.

The salaries of these two stars are higher than the payrolls of 21 of the 30 clubs in MLS this season. Last summer, Son Heung-min left Tottenham Hotspur – where he had been with for 10 years – to move to MLS for a record transfer fee of 28 million USD .

The deal is notable not only for its financial value but also for its impressive length: it runs until 2027 and can be extended to 2029 if LAFC exercises the option.

However, the $20.45 million salary per year is not Messi's total income. The Argentine star also has other sources of income, such as shares of Inter Miami, high-value advertising contracts and MLS television revenue sharing agreements.

Messi receives a low base salary at Inter Miami, but earns money in other areas.

According to Sportico , Messi could even earn $150 million over the two and a half years of his contract signed with Inter Miami and MLS in the summer of 2023. This is something Sonny cannot have.

Toronto FC striker Lorenzo Insigne is third on the list with a base salary of $15.44 million . Following him are Messi's Inter Miami teammate Sergio Busquets ( $8.5 million ), Atlanta United striker Miguel Almiron ( $7.87 million ) and San Diego FC striker Hirving Lozano ( $7.63 million ).

Despite paying a large sum for Son Heung-min, LAFC's board still believes this is a worthy deal. Since arriving in MLS, Son Heung-min has immediately become the center of attention for LAFC. With his global influence, "Sonny" quickly became the center of attention, not only on the field but also in the commercial and audience fields.

According to statistics from Fanatics Network, Son Heung-Min is currently the athlete with the highest jersey sales in the entire LAFC system, despite having only been at the club for more than two months. Notably, he has risen to second place in the list of consumer products sold in MLS, just behind the legend Lionel Messi.

Not stopping there, the appearance of Son Heung-Min at LAFC has brought a new wave to the team's away matches. Figures show that the number of spectators at these matches has increased significantly, up to 16%.

Source: https://znews.vn/son-heung-min-nhan-luong-cao-hon-ca-messi-post1597960.html