Toronto FC Wiretap

Inter Miami lead MLS in total guaranteed team compensation at $54.57 million, a new league record that surpasses the club's own benchmark set at this point last season by $7.7 million, according to figures released by the MLS Players Association.

Miami's payroll exceeds double the total of all but two other clubs. LAFC rank second at $32.65 million, followed by Atlanta United at $27.88 million, the LA Galaxy at $26.43 million and the Vancouver Whitecaps at $24.56 million. The Whitecaps are currently listed for sale and facing possible relocation.

At the other end of the spectrum, reigning Supporters' Shield holders Philadelphia Union are the league's most frugal spenders at $11.70 million, demonstrating that roster investment and on-field results do not always align in MLS.

Total Guaranteed Compensation By MLS Team

1. Inter Miami: $54.57 million
2. LAFC: $32.65 million
3. Atlanta United: $27.88 million
4. LA Galaxy: $26.43 million
5. Vancouver Whitecaps: $24.56 million
6. San Diego FC: $24.39 million
7. FC Cincinnati: $23.47 million
8. Nashville SC: $22.99 million
9. Columbus Crew: $22.34 million
10. Chicago Fire: $21.73 million
11. New York Red Bulls: $21.65 million
12. New York City FC: $21.54 million
13. Charlotte FC: $21.46 million
14. Toronto FC: $21.39 million
15. Houston Dynamo: $20.91 million
16. Austin FC: $19.89 million
17. New England Revolution: $19.41 million
18. Seattle Sounders: $19.09 million
19. St. Louis City: $18.81 million
20. Portland Timbers: $18.45 million
21. San Jose Earthquakes: $15.83 million
22. Minnesota United: $15.55 million
23. Real Salt Lake: $15.29 million
24. D.C. United: $14.55 million
25. FC Dallas: $14.54 million
26. Colorado Rapids: $14.13 million
27. Orlando City: $13.73 million
28. CF Montreal: $13.42 million
29. Sporting Kansas City: $12.36 million
30. Philadelphia Union: $11.70 million

Toronto FC has reached an agreement to sign U.S. international forward Josh Sargent from Norwich City in a deal worth up to $27 million. The transfer ends a public falling-out between Sargent and the English Championship club.

Toronto is paying an upfront fee of $22 million, with add-ons pushing the total to $27 million. The fee ranks among the largest in MLS history, trailing only Son Heung-min's $26.5 million move to LAFC and Emmanuel Latte Lath's $22 million transfer to Atlanta United.

Norwich had previously rejected Toronto's $18 million offer and maintained Sargent was not for sale as he's under contract until 2028. The situation deteriorated after Sargent asked to be omitted from Norwich's FA Cup squad. He was subsequently moved to train with the club's Under-21 side and did not feature for the first team across their final eight matches.

Sargent, 25, scored 56 goals in 157 appearances across all competitions during his four seasons at Norwich. He earned EFL Championship Team of the Season honors last year with 15 goals and five assists in 32 appearances.

The St. Louis native joins Toronto as the focal point of a rebuilt attacking unit alongside designated player Djordje Mihailovic. Free agent center back Walker Zimmerman and central midfielder Jose Cifuentes provide added depth.

Sargent holds 29 USMNT caps but has not scored internationally since 2019. He faces a challenging path back into Mauricio Pochettino's forward rotation ahead of this summer's World Cup, with Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright, and Patrick Agyemang all currently ahead of him in the pecking order.

The move reunites Sargent with North America for the first time since he signed with Werder Bremen at age 18. He and his wife recently welcomed their third child.

Major League Soccer's pending calendar shift to a European-style schedule is being viewed inside the league as more than a structural change. Sporting executives say the move could finally position MLS to capitalize on television revenue in a meaningful way.

"For so long, MLS has just been a gameday experience type of league," one chief soccer officer told The Athletic. "Media rights are where the money is, and hopefully that's what happens. We're putting the playoffs in a part of the calendar that has a lot less high-level competition, and it is hopefully going to get a boost to the TV money overall."

Beginning in July 2027, MLS will align its schedule with European leagues, syncing transfer windows and creating postseason slots that avoid direct competition with other major sports properties.

Sporting directors pointed to several additional benefits from the alignment. Synchronized transfer windows would open access to the European player market, increase loan possibilities from top clubs and raise the transfer value of outgoing MLS players.

Cold weather concerns drew acknowledgment as a genuine challenge. "You're going to have a lot of unwatchable games," one executive conceded, while maintaining the long-term benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Despite near-unanimous support for the direction, some executives urged faster action. "There's so much opportunity to improve this league faster than we do," one sporting director said. "It feels like at least we're having the right conversations that we probably haven't had in a number of years."

Inter Miami leads Major League Soccer franchise valuations at $1.45 billion, up 22% from last year, as the league prepares for transformational changes ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The average MLS team is worth $767 million, according to Sportico, representing a 6% increase from 2024. However, gains remain concentrated among top clubs, with the bottom 12 franchises rising just 2% on average.

LAFC ranks second at $1.4 billion, up 9%, followed by LA Galaxy ($1.17 billion), Atlanta United ($1.14 billion) and New York City FC ($1.12 billion). Three teams declined in value: San Jose Earthquakes, Vancouver Whitecaps and CF Montreal.

The 30 MLS franchises are collectively worth $23 billion, including real estate and team-related businesses. MLS teams generated an estimated $2.5 billion last season, averaging $83 million per club from game days, sponsorships and non-MLS events.

Inter Miami's local revenues surpassed $200 million, boosted by Lionel Messi's impact and the franchise's first MLS Cup title. A record seven teams exceeded $100 million in revenue, up from four in 2024, while several clubs including Vancouver, Montreal and Colorado generated only $35 million to $40 million.

The financial disparity has grown more pronounced than other major leagues. Inter Miami ($1.45 billion) is worth 3.4 times more than Montreal ($430 million), compared to gaps of 2.8 in the NBA and 2.3 in the NFL.

MLS faces limited national media revenue compared to other leagues. Teams currently receive approximately $5 million annually from the Apple deal after production costs, while NHL clubs average $40 million from television agreements.

The league will shift to a FIFA-aligned calendar starting summer 2027, moving the MLS Cup playoffs from fall to May to avoid competing with football season.

The average MLS franchise is worth $582 million, according to data compiled by Sportico.

Los Angeles FC ranks first at $900 million, while CF Montreal ranks last at $390 million.

Collectively, the 28 franchises are worth $16.3 billion.

1. LAFC: $900 million
2. LA Galaxy: $865 million
3. Atlanta United: $855 million
4. Seattle Sounders FC: $725 million
5. Toronto FC: $705 million
6. D.C. United: $700 million
7. New York City FC: $690 million
8. Portland Timbers: $685 million
9. Austin FC: $630 million
10. Inter Miami CF: $585 million
11. Sporting Kansas City: $575 million
12. Charlotte FC: $570 million
13. Minnesota United FC: $565 million
14. Columbus Crew: $560 million
15. Philadelphia Union: $555 million
16. FC Cincinnati: $550 million
17. Chicago Fire FC: $535 million
18. New York Red Bulls: $525 million
19. Nashville SC: $520 million
20. San Jose Earthquakes: $515 million
21. New England Revolution: $495 million
22. Houston Dynamo FC: $474 million
23. FC Dallas: $470 million
24. Real Salt Lake: $430 million
25. Orlando City SC: $420 million
26. Vancouver Whitecaps FC: $415 million
27. Colorado Rapids: $400 million
28. CF Montreal: $390 million

MLS will restart its season in home markets on August 12th.

The league also announced that 18 teams will make the playoffs this season.

The MLS Cup final will take place on December 12th.

Each side will play 18 more matches for a 23-game regular season.

A "majority" of matches will be held without fans, though the league is working with local governments to have limited capacity for certain games.

MLS extended their ban on first-team training through March 27th.

"During this time, MLS players are expected to remain in each club's respective market and have been advised to exercise safe social distancing measures. At this time, team training facilities may only be accessed for physical therapy purposes at the direction of club medical staff to ensure adherence to safety protocols," released the league in a statement.

The MLS season has been suspended until at least May 10th.

The league is unsure of exactly when their moratorium for training will be lifted.

MLS announced that they will extend their league suspension through May 10th.

The league said they were focused on finishing the season.

"MLS remains focused on playing the entire 2020 season and is evaluating all options, including pushing back the end of the season and playing MLS Cup in December, as the league did prior to the 2019 season. The league is also identifying other available dates," released the league in a statement.

The league could extend the MLS Cup into December to make extra room for matches.

Players are allowed to return to training on March 20th.

Major League Soccer and MLS Players Association have come to terms on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The new deal will last 5 years.

"As we prepare to celebrate our 25th season, we are very pleased to finalize a new five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement with our players. This agreement addresses key strategic priorities for the league and our players while also retaining the basic player compensation structure that has been the foundation for the growth and stability of Major League Soccer," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

Some new agreements include an increase in average salary, a decrease in Targeted Allocation Money, a share of the league's new media starts in 2023 and 2024, and charter flights. 

Michael Bradley, who was out of contract this offseason, has re-signed with Toronto FC.

The deal would reportedly see Bradley out until the end of his career.

"I feel so attached to the city of Toronto, the club, the team. I love it here and I am really proud of what we've been able to do over the past six years. Beyond the success, I am equally as proud of the mentality and identity this club has taken on. The relationship between the club and the city, the club and the fans are both very special and I'm proud to have played a part in that," said Bradley.

Bradley has made 200 league and cup appearances for the club.