The MLS Players Association released salary data for the 2018 season this week, and we now know the MLS highest paid players for the current campaign. There’s a change at the top following the retirement of Orlando City’s Kaka, and there’s a definite show of strength from Toronto FC, which leads all clubs with a total payroll of $26.17 million (for comparison, Houston is at the bottom with a total spend of $5.67m).
Here’s a countdown of the 25 highest earners in MLS for 2018. Somewhat surprisingly, the LA Galaxy’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic kicks off the list at No. 25 with a total compensation of $1.5m. Take a look at the rest of the MLS highest paid players 2018.
MLS Highest Paid Players 2018
#25. Zlatan Ibrahimovic | LA Galaxy | $1,500,000.00
Zlatan had three goals and three assists in his first six MLS games. Photo: @TeamFA | Twitter
#24. Bradley Wright-Phillips | NYRB | $1,635,000.00
BWP scored 17 goals for the NYRB in 2017. Photo: @FIFAcom | Twitter
#23. Felipe Gutierrez | Sporting Kansas City | $1,649,999.96
Gutierrez scored five goals in his first six games for SKC. Photo: @SportingKC | Twitter
#22. Darwin Quintero | Minnesota United | $1,650,000.00
Quintero scored two goals and had one assist in his first five games with the Loons. Photo: @daly_post | Twitter
#21. Clint Dempsey | Seattle Sounders | $1,650,000.04
Dempsey scored 15 goals in 32 games for Seattle in 2017. Photo: @Aleespitia2015 | Twitter
#20. Shkelzen Gashi | Colorado Rapids | $1,668,750.00
Gashi only started 12 games for the Rapids in 2017. Photo: @EntModern | Twitter
#19. Borek Dockal | Philadelphia Union | $1,714,285.68
Dockal has 27 caps for the Czech Republic. Photo: @thegoalkeeper | Twitter
#18. Romain Alessandrini | LA Galaxy | $1,869,996.00
Alessandrini scored 13 goals in 30 games for LA in 2017. Photo: @LAGalaxy | Twitter
#17. Nemanja Nikolic | Chicago Fire | $1,906,333.37
Nikolic won the 2017 MLS Golden Boot with 24 goals. Photo: @fanly_chifire | Twitter
#16. Fanendo Adi | Portland Timbers | $1,933,333.33
Adi scored 10 goals in 22 games for Portland in 2017. Photo: @TimbersFC | Twitter
#15. Maxi Moralez | NYCFC | $2,000,000.04
Moralez had five goals and nine assists for NYCFC in 2017. Photo: @MLS | Twitter
#14. Jonathan dos Santos | LA Galaxy | $2,000,000.04
Dos Santos had one goal and one assist in 12 games for LA in 2017. Photo: @futbolsapiens | Twitter
#13. Yura Movsisyan | MLS L.L.C.* | $2,073,750.00
*on loan at Djurgardens IF from Real Salt Lake
Movsisyan is no longer with us. Photo: @erikssonhenrik | Twitter
#12. Miguel Almiron | Atlanta United | $2,297,000.00
Almiron had nine goals and 14 assists in his first MLS season. Photo: @CCFC_JOSH_1927 | Twitter
#11. Nicolas Lodeiro | Seattle Sounders | $2,302,500.00
Lodeiro had seven goals and 12 assists for Seattle in 2017. Photo: @futbolMLS | Twitter
#10. Diego Valeri | Portland Timbers | $2,380,000.00
Valeri was the 2017 MLS MVP. Photo: @fanly_timbers | Twitter
#9. Tim Howard | Colorado Rapids | $2,475,000.00
Howard posted a record of 7-14-4 last year. Photo: @TexasMeerkats | Twitter
#8. Ignacio Piatti | Montreal Impact | $4,713,333.37
Piatti had 17 goals and six assists for Montreal in 2017. Photo: @globeandmail | Twitter
#7. Jozy Altidore | Toronto FC | $5,000,000.00
Altidore was the 2017 MLS Cup MVP. Photo: @SportsCentre | Twitter
#6. David Villa | NYCFC | $5,610,000.00
Villa scored 22 goals for NYCFC in 2017. Photo: @NYCFC | Twitter
#5. Giovani dos Santos | LA Galaxy | $6,000,000.00
Dos Santos had six goals and three assists in 25 games for LA in 2017. Photo: @Last24ht | Twitter
#4. Bastian Schweinsteiger | Chicago Fire | $6,100,000.08
Basti had three goals and six assists in 24 games for Chicago in 2017. Photo: @fanly_chifire | Twitter
#3. Carlos Vela | LAFC | $6,292,500.00
Vela scored five goals in his first nine games for LAFC. Photo: @ESPNmx | Twitter
#2. Michael Bradley | Toronto FC | $6,500,000.00
Bradley captained Toronto to the best season in MLS history in 2017. Photo: @MLS | Twitter
#1. Sebastian Giovinco | Toronto FC | $7,115,555.67
Seba had 16 goals and six assists for Toronto in 2017. Photo: @globeandmail | Twitter