Playing soccer in the United States has rarely been a path to riches. But it turns out playing in the MLS can pay worse than a lot of regular jobs. There are 26 players on 13 MLS teams that rake in a mere $20,100 per year to play soccer professionally.
That means that 13 of the 16 MLS teams are contracting players at a rate well below the average United States salary. The number is staggeringly low compared to other soccer leagues around the world. The $20,100 mark is barely more than the average WEEKLY wage in the English Premiere League. English footballers in the top league average about $19,896.50 per week. The average salary in the English Premier League is just over $1 million per year — but that’s nothing compared to the world’s highest-paid soccer player. Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Inter Milan could afford to pay those players’ salaries in just over two weeks of work. The Swede makes $254,06 per week in the Italian Serie A.
These 26 players are probably some of the most vocal supporters of an MLS strike. The players voted 383-2 to give their bargaining committee the power to strike. The main sticking point between the league and its players is the potential for free agency. Currently, the league itself negotiates salaries with players rather than (multiple) clubs. That problem will also be eliminated if the league no longer exists.
theyre still overpaid