Top 5 highest-paid players at Inter Miami

Inter Miami haven’t been afraid to spend money on wages as Lionel Messi isn’t coming cheap. Moreover, bringing guys like Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets over will cost a good amount of money.

While MLS is a league with a salary cap, putting the trio of Messi, Alba, and Busquets in the Designated Player (DP) category allows Inter Miami to meet the wage demands of these players.

For those who don’t know what a DP is, that’s someone whose salary goes beyond the league’s salary cap, but the team only shoulders part of the cost thanks to a special roster spot. This rule lets MLS clubs sign and keep high-profile players without being fully limited by the cap, helping them compete with teams in other leagues for top talent.

With the context, let’s look at Inter Miami’s top five wage earners for the 2025 MLS season.

Lionel Messi ($12M)

It’s no surprise that Messi commands the top spot for wage earners this season. The former FC Barcelona star has a base salary of $12 million in his third season with the South Florida club, and it will be interesting to see how much he earns in his next contract, as his current deal is set to expire after the season. For Inter Miami, this investment will be well worth it if they can finally win a league title in the Messi era, which has eluded them since the Argentine arrived in 2023.

Sergio Busquets ($8.4M)

After Messi, there’s a drop-off in wage earners, but still, Inter Miami are paying Busquets close to $9 million in 2025. The veteran midfielder is in the final year of his three-year contract and newcomer Rodrigo De Paul will likely take his spot as a DP player next season.

Jordi Alba ($6M)

Messi’s other former Barcelona teammate comes in third when it comes to the highest earners at Inter Miami. Unlike Busquets, Alba has a future with Inter Miami as he recently signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him with the South Florida side until December 2027.

Luis Suarez ($1.5M)

The veteran striker, who is in the final year of his contract, comes in as the fourth-highest earner at Inter Miami, receiving a base salary of just over $1 million. It’s likely that the Herons move off from the Uruguayan after this season and use those wages to bring in a young and more promising goal scorer.

Tadeo Allende ($1M)

Another South American on this list is the 26 year-old forward who is earning a base salary of $1 million this season. Since joining Inter Miami this year, he’s made 35 appearances across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and recording one assist. So far, that wage amount has proved to be worth it for the Herons.