LOS ANGELES, April 26 — Former Brazil star Kaka topped the list of Major League Soccer's highest-paid players for a third straight year, according to official figures released yesterday.
A comprehensive breakdown of basic salary and guaranteed earnings issued by the MLS Players Union showed Orlando's Kaka coming out on top with wages of US$7.168 million (RM31.5 million).
The 35-year-old 2007 Fifa World Player of the Year headed to MLS in 2014 after a second stint with AC Milan.
The top 10 highest-earners in MLS are dominated by foreign players, with Toronto's Italian international Sebastian Giovinco second on the list with a salary of US$7.116 million.
Giovinco's Toronto team-mate, United States skipper Michael Bradley, is third with a salary of US$6.5 million.
New York City FC's duo of Andrea Pirlo and David Villa were fourth and fifth on the list, earning US$5.915 million and US$5.61 million respectively.
Chicago Fire's recently arrived former Bayern Munich and Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger was seventh with a guaranteed US$5.4 million.
US internationals Jozy Altidore (US$4.875 million) and Clint Dempsey (US$3.892 million) were eighth and ninth on the list.
Argentinian midfielder Diego Valeri of the Portland Timbers rounded out the top 10 with a salary of US$2.607 million.
At the other end of the scale, several players in MLS earn the minimum wage of US$53,004 a year. — AFP
