Orlando City FC midfielder Kaka celebrates his goal against the Montreal Impact during second half MLS action Wednesday, September 7, 2016 in Montreal. Orlando's Kaka has retained his status as MLS' highest-paid player for the third straight season at US$7,167,500 while No. 2 Sebastian Giovinco heads up a Toronto trio of big-ticket designated players pulling down a combined $18.5 million this season. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
April 25, 2017 - 3:32 PM
TORONTO - Orlando's Kaka has retained his status as MLS' highest-paid player for the third straight season at US$7,167,500 while No. 2 Sebastian Giovinco heads up a Toronto trio of big-ticket designated players pulling down a combined $18.5 million this season.
The figures released Tuesday by the MLS Players Union include bonuses annualized over the term of the player's contract.
Giovinco's salary is listed at $7,115,555 while Toronto captain Michael Bradley is making $6.5 million and striker Jozy Altidore $4,875,000.
Striker Fredy Montero tops the Vancouver Whitecaps' salary list at $1.8 million ahead of midfielder Matias Laba ($885,500) and midfielder Brek Shea ($670,000).
Italian forward Matteo Mancoso is Montreal's top earner at $719,514 with Belgian defender Lauren Ciman second at $661,666. Argentine playmaker Ignacio Piatti is listed at a bargain $450,000.
German star midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is making $5.4 million in his first year with the Chicago Fire.
New York City midfielder Andrea Pirlo ($5.6 million, $5,915,960) is third on the MLS salary list with teammate forward David Villa ($5.61 million) fourth, followed by Los Angeles Galaxy forward Giovani Dos Santos ($3.75 million, $5.5 million), Schweinsteiger, Altidore, Seattle forward Clint Dempsey ($3.2 million, $3,892,934), Portland midfielder Diego Valeri ($2,227,500, $2,607,500) and Colorado goalkeeper Tim Howard ($2 million, $2,475,000).
Twenty-eight players have total compensation of $1 million or more, an increase of five from the initial list last year.
Others include Atlanta midfielder Miguel Almiron ($2,297,000), New York City midfielder Maxi Moralez ($2 million), Salt Lake forward Yura Movsisyan ($1,973,750), Chicago forward Nemanja Nikolic ($1,906,333), Montero, Seattle midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro ($1,743,429), Portland forward Fanendo Adi ($1,736,254), Colorado forward Shkelzen Gashi ($1,668,750), New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips ($1,635,000), Philadelphia midfielder Alejandro Bedoya ($1,197,250), Seattle midfielder Osvaldo Alonso ($1,141,667), Portland midfielder Sebastian Blanco ($1,075,008), Columbus midfielder Federico Higuain ($1.05 million), Colorado forward Kevin Doyle ($1,045,000), Atlanta forward Josef Martinez ($1,041,310) and Portland forward Lucas Melano ($1.01 million).
Among Canadians in the league, Orlando midfielder Will Johnson is earning $450,000 with Orlando while teammate Cyle Larin, a forward, is at $192,000.
Toronto's Spanish playmaker Victor Vazquez is collecting $700,000 in is first year in the league. Fellow TFC newcomer Chris Mavinga, a French-born Congolese international defender, is making $300,691.
Mavinga, who has seen 65 minutes playing time this season, is listed as Toronto's highest-paid defender — ahead of defensive quarterback Drew Moor ($261,750).
TFC rookie Oyvnd Alseth is making $53,004.
With files from The Associated Press
News from © The Canadian Press, 2017