LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is earning a Major League Soccer-record $7.2 million salary this season.
The 37-year-old Ibrahimovic, who earned a relatively modest $1.5m last year, broke the previous mark set by former Toronto FC midfielder Sebastian Giovinco, who had $7,115,556 in total compensation in both 2017 and 2018.
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The MLS Players Association said Wednesday the average base salary for all players this year is $376,174 and the average guaranteed compensation is $417,643, including a prorated share of guaranteed money not attributable to a specific year. The average salary for senior roster non-designated players increased 13.3 percent to $345,867 and is up from $138,140 in 2014.
Striker Giovani dos Santos, released by the Galaxy in March, is second with a base salary of $4.75m and total compensation of $6.5m.
Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley ($6m base, $6,428,571 total) is third, followed by Toronto striker Jozy Altidore ($4,891,250, $6,332,250), LAFC forward Carlos Vela ($4.5m base, $6.3m total), Chicago midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger ($5.6m base and total), Montreal winger Ignacio Piatti ($530,000, $4,443,333), Toronto midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo ($3.8m), DC United forward Wayne Rooney ($3.5m, $3,507,500), Atlanta forward Josef Martinez ($3m, $3,058,333), Seattle forward Nicolas Lodeiro ($2m, $2,502,500), Orlando midfielder Nani ($2,333,333, $2,486,250) and Colorado goalkeeper Tim Howard ($2m, $2,475,000).
The minimum salary for each team’s 18-20 senior players rose to $70,250 this season and the minimum for its maximum eight reserve players increased to $56,250.
This is the final season of a five-year labor contract.