Messi makes more than some MLS teams
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Soccer superstar Lionel Messi remains the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, the MLS Players Association's latest salary guide shows.
Why it matters: Messi's guaranteed compensation of $20.4 million is higher than 20 other teams' total guaranteed compensation.
By the numbers: Inter Miami as a whole has a guaranteed compensation of $46.8 million, up from $41.7 million last year.
- It also accounts for three of the league's highest-paid players.
Between the lines: Spending a lot of money on players, even one of the best players in the world, doesn't guarantee wins. Messi and Inter Miami sit sixth in the Eastern Conference as of July 3.
- LA Galaxy, which ranks fifth in the league for guaranteed compensation at $22.9 million, sits at the bottom of the Western Conference with one win.
The other side: CF Montréal has the lowest guaranteed compensation at $12 million and is at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with only three wins.
- Philadelphia Union leads the Eastern Conference and ranks second-to-last in the league for guaranteed compensation with $13.4 million.
What we're watching: MLS is more than halfway through its season, but there's still plenty of time for some teams to make the playoffs.
