Kaka, who has played only 11 minutes this season due to a hamstring injury, earns a league-best $7.168M, according to the MLS Players Union. (Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports)
By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
Contrary to what you might think, New York City FC doesn’t lead Major League Soccer in millionaires. The Portland Timbers do.
That’s right. The Timbers have four men among the 28 players who were earning seven figures or more in 2017, according to the MLS Players Union salary list that was released Tuesday.
The Timbers players in the millionaires club include (guaranteed compensation):
10. Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers, $2.607 million
19. Fanendo Adi, Portland Timbers, $1.736 million
24. Sebastian Blanco, Portland Timbers, $1.075 million
28. Lucas Melano, Portland Timbers, $1.010 million
Brazilian great and Orlando City SC midfielder Kaka leads the way with $7.168 million. Kaka has played only 11 minutes this season after suffering a hamstring injury in Orlando’s season-opening win over NYCFC March 5.
The Seattle Sounders, NYCFC and Toronto FC each played three players on the list.
In fact, Toronto, FC, the 2016 MLS Cup finalists, have three players among the top eight. They are Sebastian Giovinco (second), Michael Bradley (third) and Jozy Altidore (eighth).
The three NYCFC players are Andrea Pirlo (fourth), David Villa (fifth) and Maxi Moralez (13th).
The MLS millionaires’ club
1. Kaka, Orlando City, $7.168 million
2. Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC, $7.116 million
3. Michael Bradley, Toronto FC, $6.5 million
4. Andrea Pirlo, New York City FC, $5.915 million
5. David Villa, New York City FC, $5.61 million
6. Giovani Dos Santos, LA Galaxy, $5.5 million
7. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Chicago Fire, $5.4 million
8. Jozy Altidore, Toronto FC, $4.875 million
9. Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders, $3.892 million
10. Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers, $2.607 million
11. Tim Howard, Colorado Rapids, $2.475 million
12. Miguel Almiron, Atlanta United, $2.297 million
13. Maxi Moralez, New York City FC, $2 million
14. Romain Alessandrini, LA Galaxy, $1.999 million
15. Yura Movsisyan, Real Salt Lake, $1.973 million
16. Nemanja Nikolic, Chicago Fire, $1.906 million
17. Fredy Montero, Vancouver Whitecaps, $1.8 million
18. Nicolas Lodeiro, Seattle Sounders, $1.743 million
19. Fanendo Adi, Portland Timbers, $1.736 million
20. Shkelzen Gashi, Colorado Rapids, $1.668 million
21. Bradley Wright-Phillips, Red Bulls, $1.635 million
22. Alejandro Bedoya, Philadelphia Union, $1.197 million
23. Osvaldo Alonso, Seattle Sounders, $1.141 million
24. Sebastian Blanco, Portland Timbers, $1.075 million
25. Federico Higuain, Columbus Crew, $1.05 million
26. Kevin Doyle, Colorado Rapids, $1.045 million
27. Josef Martinez, Atlanta United, $1.041 million
28. Lucas Melano, Portland Timbers, $1.010 million
