Inter Miami didn’t have to spend a dime on the transfer of Lionel Messi. On the contrary, this evened out as they forked out one of the heftiest paychecks ever for the soccer icon. The highest-paid athlete in the US is earning between $50 to $60 million per year. Notably, this amount includes the signing bonus and the player’s equity in the club. Strictly, going by compensation offered by the MLS side, the playmaker earns in excess of $20 million per year. This is considerably more than the other heavyweights in the side, Suarez, Busquets, and Alba.

According to reports, La Pulga’s guaranteed salary stands at $20,446,667. For Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, the figure amounts to $1,500,000 and $8,774,996 respectively. The big surprise is Luis Suarez. El Pistolero earns just $1,500,000 per year. This is even less than what he made with Brazilian side Gremio. There he was being paid around $4 million per year. Considering how Suarez and Lionel Messi have been Miami’s two best players this season, the difference in pay seems unreal. Yet, there is a reason behind this pay gap.

As per MLS rules, a club can only have 3 designated players (DP). A DP can earn significantly more than the club’s salary cap. At Inter Miami, the DP slots are filled by Lionel Messi, Busquets, and Gregore. Gregore has since left the club and Campana is now the new DP. This is why Suarez as well as Jordi Alba had to settle for relatively small paychecks. However, having a big paycheck has its disadvantages as well. Lionel Messi’s earning post-taxes will give you an idea.

The mammoth taxes Lionel Messi will be paying

Any athlete will lose significant earnings on taxes and Lionel Messi is no exception. The Inter Miami skipper who earns around $55 million per year, will see that amount come to $31.7 million after taxes! The major tax here is the Federal tax. As per reports, the Argentine star will have to pay a staggering $20.35 million per year in Federal tax. There is also the Florida tax. Fortunately, Messi is exempted as Florida is one of the few states that doesn’t tax foreign athletes.

Then comes the jock tax which demands professional athletes to pay income tax in the state where they earn income. As part of the jock tax, Lionel Messi will be shelling out around $1.64 million. Last but not the least is FICA. This tax is for the social security and medicare facilities offered. In total, Lionel Messi will pay $23.28 million per year in taxes! A rare downside to being the best-paid athlete in the United States.