Kaka tops MLS salaries for 3rd straight year; Giovinco next

Orlando City SC captain Kaka speaks with the media during the Orlando City SC media day event at the Orlando City Stadium on February 28, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. [Photo/VCG]

BETHESDA, Md. — Orlando's Kaka is Major League Soccer's highest-paid player for the third straight season, just ahead of Toronto's Sebastian Giovinco, and German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has a $5.4 million salary in his first year with the Chicago Fire.

Kaka, a Brazilian midfielder in his third season with Orlando, has a $6.6 million base salary this year, according to figures released Tuesday by the MLS Players Union. Including a prorated share of compensation not specified to a specific year, Kaka's total earnings are $7,167,500.

Giovinco, the Italian forward who joined Toronto in 2015, has a $5.6 million salary and $7,115,556 in total compensation, followed by Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley, the U.S. national team captain ($6 million salary, $6.5 million total compensation).

New York City midfielder Andrea Pirlo ($5.6 million, $5,915,960) and his teammate forward David Villa ($5.61 million) were next, followed by Los Angeles Galaxy forward Giovani Dos Santos ($3.75 million, $5.5 million), Schweinsteiger, Toronto forward Jozy Altidore ($4,875,000), 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), Vancouver forward Fredy Montero ($1.8 million), 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).