Kaka remains Major League Soccer’s highest-paid player at just over $7 million, and newcomer Steven Gerrard is No. 4 behind Toronto midfielders Sebastian Giovinco and Michael Bradley.
Kaka, the former AC Milan and Real Madrid star, is earning a base salary of $6.6 million from Orlando City, according to figures released Friday by the MLS Players Union. Including a prorated share of compensation not specified to a specific year, his total earnings are a league-record $7,167,500.
Giovinco has a $5.6 million base and total compensation of $7,115,556. Bradley, in his second season with Toronto, has a $6 million base and $6.5 million total earnings.
Gerrard, the former Liverpool and England captain who was set to make his Los Angeles Galaxy debut Friday, has a $6.2 million base salary and $6,332,504 in total earnings. Teammate Robbie Keane, Ireland’s captain, makes $4.5 million and newly signed forward Giovani dos Santos has a $4,000,008 base salary and $4,100,008 in total compensation. Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez has a $1.2 million base and $1.45 million in total earnings.
Former Chelsea and Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard, who has yet to play a match for New York City, has a $6 million salary, followed on NYC by former Barcelona forward David Villa at $5.61 million and former Juventus and AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who has a $2 million base and total compensation of $2,315,694.
Seattle forward Clint Dempsey dropped to $4,605,942 in total earnings from $6,695,000 last year. Teammate Obafemi Martins is at $3 million.
Twenty-one players have total earnings of $1 million or more, a group that includes Toronto forward Jozy Altidore ($4.75 million), New England midfielder Jermaine Jones ($3,052,500), Chicago midfielder Shaun Maloney ($1,586,000), Vancouver midfielder Pedro Morales ($1,410,900), Toronto forward Gilberto ($1,205,000), Colombus attacker Federico Higuain ($1,175,000), Columbus forward Kevin Doyle ($1.17 million), San Jose forward Innocent Emeghara ($1.04 million) and Portland defender Liam Ridgewell ($1 million).