5 highest earners in the MLS (2023)

Major League Soccer (MLS) has emerged as a great destination for veteran footballers in the final leg of their respective careers. The MLS offers lucrative wage packages thanks to higher salary caps and designated player rules, whereby teams can sign up to three players outside their salary caps.

The league also provides an environment that's way less intense than Europe's top five leagues. The seasons are shorter and the fixture congestion that wears players down in Europe is absent as well.

In addition to this, with MLS teams being based out of major cities, the league offers players and their families an attractive lifestyle and cultural experience. Thanks to the combination of all these factors, more and more footballers are choosing to move to the MLS as they wind down their careers.

Without further ado, let's take a look at the five highest earners in the MLS.

Federico Bernardeschi is a player who failed to hit the heights expected of him in Europe. With his Juventus contract expiring in 2022, the Italian winger decided to sign with MLS outfit Toronto FC and immediately became one of the American league's highest earners.

Bernardeschi reportedly earns $6.3 million in annual wages. However, his performances have not exactly been on par with his status as one of the highest earners at the club. The 29-year-old hasn't had much of an impact this season, scoring just three goals and providing two assists in 21 MLS appearances.

Former Manchester United striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez has been at Los Angeles Galaxy since January 2020. He was the MLS' highest-paid player at the time and has done a pretty good job for the club in his three-and-a-half seasons there.

In 83 appearances in all competitions for LA Galaxy,