The Major League Soccer Players’ Association released the first salary report of the 2025 season on Wednesday, which includes the salary of every MLS player. The Colorado Rapids, who have made their fair share of splash signings over the past two seasons, are ninth lowest in the league in payroll for their first-team players.
Winger Kévin Cabral, who has not logged a goal contribution yet this season despite playing in all but one match this season, is atop the Rapids’ payroll at $2.1 million per year. Half of that salary, however, has been paid by his former team, L.A. Galaxy, since the Rapids acquired him in 2022, and will be until his contract expires following this season.
In terms of salary the Rapids pay in full, the club’s most expensive player is attacking midfielder Djordje Mihailovic, at $1,775,000 in guaranteed compensation. Since his arrival in 2024, the club has practically been built around Mihailovic’s talent and consistency, logging 18 goals and 17 assists in 47 regular season games.
In total, the Rapids are spending $15,482,331 on the first team’s payroll. Offseason acquisitions account for $3,092,129, or 19.97% of roster’s budget. Center back Chidozie Awaziem far and away leads the new-Rapids pack with a guaranteed compensation of $1,397,675.
Colorado’s seven Homegrowns take up $2,301,580 of the budget, or 14.86% of the budget. Of them, Sam Vines ($912,500 guaranteed) and Cole Bassett (850,000 guaranteed) lead the way.
Around the league, Inter Miami blows the MLS out of the water, with a whopping $46,836,635 salary budget — nearly half of which is going to legendary attacker Lionel Messi alone. Miami sits in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with two games in hand, and just moved onto the round of 16 in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Conversely, the league’s second-most expensive team in terms of salary, Toronto FC ($34,146,193) is second-worst in the Eastern Conference and third-worst in the league in terms of points (just 13 in 17 games). Toronto is led by former Rapids coach Robin Fraser.
Colorado currently sits just above the playoff line with 22 points in 18 games, good for ninth place in the Western Conference. It will face reigning MLS Cup Champions — and the league’s worst team this season — LA Galaxy Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. For those keeping count, the Galaxy spends the fifth-most in MLS on salary at just less than $23 million.
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