AP, Bethesda :
LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is earning a Major League Soccer (MLS)-record $7.2 million salary this season.
The 37-year-old Ibrahimovic, who earned a relatively modest $1.5 million last year, broke the previous mark of Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco, who had $7,115,556 in total compensation in both 2017 and 2018.
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% 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 $4.75 million and total compensation of $6.5 million.
Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley ($6 million base, $6,428,571 total) is third, followed by Toronto striker Jozy Altidore ($4,891,250, $6,332,250), LAFC forward Carlos Vela ($4.5 million base, $6.3 million total), Chicago midfield Bastian Schweinsteiger ($5.6 million base and total), Montreal winger Ignacio Piatti ($530,000, $4,443,333), Toronto midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo ($3.8 million), DC United forward Wayne Rooney ($3.5 million, $3,507,500), Atlanta forward Josef Martínez ($3 million, $3,058,333), Seattle forward Nicolás Lodeiro ($2 million, $2,502,500), Orlando midfielder Nani ($2,333333, $2,486,250) and Colorado goalkeeper Tim Howard ($2 million, $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.
