Kaka is highest paid in MLS

Brazilian star Kaka is the highest paid player in Major League Soccer, taking home $7.16 million (£4.9m) a year.

The former world footballer of the year joined Orlando City in 2014, and the Eastern Conference side hand him approximately £94,000-a-week. That amounts for a staggering 62 per cent of the entire Orlando team’s payroll. Giovinco, who plays for Toronto FC, is the second highest paid. The former Juventus man earns $7.11m (£4.85m).

Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard may not have lived up to their billings since arriving in the US, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been generously rewarded.
LA Galaxy midfielder Gerrard’s annual salary is $6.13m (£4.18m), which works out at just over £80,000-a-week. That’s considerably more than his team-mate Robbie Keane, who earns $3.5m (£2.39m) a year, or £46,000-a-week.

Lampard is the second highest paid Englishman, he earns $6m (£4.1m) per year. New York City FC team-mates Andrea Pirlo ($5.91m) and David Villa ($5.61m) earn slightly less.

The highest paid American is Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley. He takes home $6.5m (£4.45m) a year while compatriot and former Tottenham midfielder Clint Dempsey pockets $4.6m (£3.15m). Meanwhile, former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is paid $2.16m (£1.48m) by Montreal Impact.

Ricardo Kaka in action