May 18, 2026 - Sports

Promising youngster tops Rapids salaries

Esteban L. Hernandez

Soccer player in a light gray kit with number 10 chases a white ball mid-air on a green pitch; a crowded stadium with orange and blue stands looms in the background. — Paxten Aaronson during a game against the Houston Dynamo. Photo: Jack Gorman/Getty Images

The Colorado Rapids' top-paid player happens to be the team's club-record transfer.

Zoom in: Midfielder Paxten Aaronson is the team's highest-paid player, raking in $2.2 million in base salary, per the Major League Soccer Players Association's latest salary guide.

The Rapids signed Aaronson from German side Eintracht Frankfurt for a club-record $8 million last year.

Between the lines: Forward Rafael Navarro ($1.4 million), defender Rob Holding ($1.2 million and goalkeeper Zack Steffen ($1.1 million) are the only other Rapids making at least a million dollars a year.

State of play: Aaronson is enjoying a solid season with the Rapids, including three goals and four assists in MLS play.

Yes, but: The Rapids are still struggling.

The big picture: The Rapids are near the bottom of the league's total salaries at $14 million in total team compensation — half what the league's highest-paid player, Lionel Messi, makes.

Messi will make $28 million in guaranteed money this season.

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Promising youngster tops Rapids salaries

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