NEW YORK (AP) - David Beckham tops Major League Soccer's salary list again at $6.5 million - more than 43 times the league's average - even though he'll remain on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy to AC Milan until midseason.
MLS on FSC
Beckham's guaranteed income dwarfs the league average, which rose 14 percent to $147,945 from the start of last season following a 12 percent rise in 2008. As part of Sunday's agreement to extend his loan through the end of the Serie A season, the 33-year-old midfielder and AC Milan are jointly paying the Galaxy in a "multimillion dollar deal," according to the MLS team.
Just seven players in MLS top $500,000, according to figures released by the league's players union. Chicago's Cuauhtemoc Blanco remained second at $2.94 million and New York's Juan Pablo Angel third at $1.8 million.
Freddie Ljungberg of the expansion Seattle Sounders is fourth at $1.31 million and Galaxy forward Landon Donovan, just back with the Galaxy following a winter loan to Bayern Munich, is fifth at $900,0000.
The only other players over the half-million mark are Columbus' Guillermo Barros Schelotto at $775,000 and D.C. United's Luciano Emilio at $758,857.
The median income - the point at which an equal amount make above and below - was $88,000 for 323 players listed.
Forty players make the minimum $34,000 and 12 more make the developmental minimum of $20,100.
Beckham again tops MLS salary list
Associated Press
Beckham's guaranteed income dwarfs the league average, which rose 14 percent to $147,945 from the start of last season following a 12 percent rise in 2008. As part of Sunday's agreement to extend his loan through the end of the Serie A season, the 33-year-old midfielder and AC Milan are jointly paying the Galaxy in a "multimillion dollar deal," according to the MLS team.
Just seven players in MLS top $500,000, according to figures released by the league's players union. Chicago's Cuauhtemoc Blanco remained second at $2.94 million and New York's Juan Pablo Angel third at $1.8 million.
Freddie Ljungberg of the expansion Seattle Sounders is fourth at $1.31 million and Galaxy forward Landon Donovan, just back with the Galaxy following a winter loan to Bayern Munich, is fifth at $900,0000.
The only other players over the half-million mark are Columbus' Guillermo Barros Schelotto at $775,000 and D.C. United's Luciano Emilio at $758,857.
The median income - the point at which an equal amount make above and below - was $88,000 for 323 players listed.
Forty players make the minimum $34,000 and 12 more make the developmental minimum of $20,100.