Orlando City midfielder Kaka is the highest-paid Major League Soccer player for a third consecutive year, with over $7 million (about R91.5 million) in annual earnings, according to figures released by the MLS Players Union on Tuesday.
The former Brazil midfielder, who has not played since picking up a hamstring injury in the first game of Orlando’s season in early March, will earn $7.2m (about R94.1m) in total compensation in 2017.
Italian forward and former Landon Donovan MVP Award winner Sebastian Giovinco was second on the list with $7.1m (about R92.8m) in total compensation, followed by US national team captain and Toronto teammate Michael Bradley ($6.5m, about R85m).
New York City’s Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo ($5.9m, about R77.1m) and teammate David Villa ($5.6m, about R73.2m) of Spain rounded out the top five.
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Giovani dos Santos ($5.5m, about R71.9m) was sixth among the league’s highest-paid players, while Bastian Schweinsteiger, in his first year with the Chicago Fire, was ranked seventh at ($5.4m, about R70.6m).
Making up the top 10 were Jozy Altidore ($4.9m, about R64m), Clint Dempsey ($3.9m, about R51m) and Argentine Diego Valeri ($2.6m, about R34m).
MLS teams do not disclose salary information when announcing player contracts, but the figures are confirmed by the union twice each year.