Highest-paid soccer players in MLS, ranked

Major League Soccer has long been a retirement home for some of the world's most talented soccer players.

David Beckham, Kaka, and Andrea Pirlo are just a few of the high profile stars to have spent their yesteryears stateside after illustrious careers in Europe.

While ageing players still continue to flock to the division, the MLS is also becoming a sought-after destination for players in their prime, particularly those from South America.

Add an ever-growing pool of homemade talents into the mix, and it means the division is slowly but surely beginning to establish itself as an emerging power in world soccer.

But as its quality has increased, so have the prices, and in particular, the wages, of its players.

Read more: Garber's 20 years as MLS commissioner time of huge growth

The MLS has a salary cap which permits each team to spend no more than $4.035 million on its wage bill for the season, however since 2007 and the introduction of the "Beckham Rule," each side is allowed three "designated players" to whom the cap does not apply.

Since the rule's inception, there have been 144 designated players in the MLS, 65 of whom currently play in the division at the moment.

Business Insider has listed the 15 current highest earners, according to the MLS Players Association, ranked in ascending order:

Source: Business Insider

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