Philadelphia Union has one of MLS' lowest team salaries. They keep winning
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The Philadelphia Union has the second-lowest payroll in Major League Soccer.
Why it matters: Spending a lot of money on players doesn't guarantee wins — and no one employs that mantra better than gritty Philly.
The big picture: The Union — third in the MLS' Eastern Conference — totals $13.4 million in team salary. That's about $7 million less than what soccer superstar Lionel Messi makes as the league's highest-paid player, per the MLS Players Association's latest salary guide.
- Messi's guaranteed compensation of $20.4 million is higher than 20 other teams' total guaranteed compensation, writes Axios' Ashley Mahoney.
Zoom in: While Philly's top three players combined earn a fraction of Messi's salary, the team has collectively made the playoffs eight times since their inaugural season in 2010, including a shootout loss to Los Angeles in the 2022 championship.
- Center forward Mikael Uhre, who the Union acquired from Brondby in 2022, is the team's highest-paid player with $2.2 million in guaranteed compensation.