AP, Bethesda :
Kaka remains Major League Soccer’s highest-paid player at just over $7 million, and American goalkeeper Tim Howard will earn slightly more than $2.5 million in his return to the league.
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 Thursday by the MLS Players Union. Including a prorated share of compensation not specified to a specific year, his total earnings remain a league-record $7,167,500.
Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco, the league’s 2015 MVP, has a $5.6 million base and total compensation of $7,115,556. U.S. national team captain Michael Bradley, in his third season with Toronto, has a $6 million base and $6.5 million total earnings.
Howard, the U.S. starting goalkeeper at the past two World Cups, is joining Colorado next month after a decade at Everton. He has a $2.1 million base and $2,575,000 in total compensation.
Steven Gerrard, the former Liverpool and England captain now with the Los Angeles Galaxy, has a $6 million base salary and $6,132,500 in total earnings.
Former Chelsea and Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard, who has yet to play a match for New York City this season, has a $6 million salary. He is followed by teammates Andrea Pirlo ($5.6 million, $5,915,690) and David Villa ($5.61 million).
Twenty-three players have total earnings of $1 million or more, an increase of two from last year’s initial salary list.
Toronto’s Jozy Altidore was at $4,825,000, followed by Seattle’s Clint Dempsey ($4,605,942), Los Angeles’ Giovani Dos Santos ($4.25 million) and Robbie Keane ($3.5 million), Montreal’s Didier Drogba ($2,166,667), Colorado’s Shkelzen Gashi ($1,668,750), Salt Lake’s Juan Manuel Martinez ($1,458,667), Seattle’s Nelson Valdez ($1,455,000), San Jose’s Innocent Emeghara ($1.3 million), Vancouver’s Pedro Morales ($1,258,900), Portland’s Liam Ridgewell ($1.25 million), Columbus’ Federico Higuain ($1,175,000), Chicago’s Gilberto ($1,145,000), Colorado’s Kevin Doyle ($1.12 million) and New England’s Kei Kamara ($1 million).
