Mexican national Palencia is highest-paid player

Juan Francisco Palencia is the only player with a Major League Soccer (MLS) salary including bonuses to exceed US 1 million, making him the league’s highest-paid player.
 
Palencia, a former Mexican National forward, earns US 1.36 million with the club Chivas USA, US 400,000 more than Landon Donovan, the Los Angeles Galaxy player who is the league’s second-highest paid player.
 
The Washington Post reported Palencia will receive a base salary of US 692,308 and approximately US 668,000 in bonuses. Palencia scored three goals last season in nine matches, and has not scored in three appearances this season.
 
Donovan will earn US 900,000 overall, which was his salary last season, when he was the MLS’ highest-paid player. Forward Eddie Johnson, who plays for Kansas City, is third with US 875,000.
 
D.C. United’s Freddy Adu, who has a base salary of US 300,000 and total compensation of US 550,000 - the same as 2005, when he was third on the list – is fifth. Adu was the highest-paid MLS player during his rookie season of 2004, earning US 500,000. Aside from the MLS, Adu will make several hundred thousand dollars a year through endorsement deals, most prominently with Nike.
 
Each MLS club faces a salary cap of approximately US 1.9 million, but it is likely one player counts for no more than US 300,000 toward that limit.
 
The league list reveals the disparity of salaries. Compared to Palnecia, half of D.C. United’s 28 players will make less than US 36,500. Under development contracts, nine will get less than US 16,500 under terms of developmental contracts.

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