Henry, Marquez trail only Beckham on MLS salary list

NEW YORK (AFP) – French playmaker Thierry Henry and Mexican captain Rafael Marquez made the biggest news last month by joining Major League Soccer but England’s David Beckham remains the US league’s highest-paid player.

A salary list compiled by the MLS Players Union shows Beckham, the injured Los Angeles Galaxy star who hopes to return next month from a torn Achilles tendon, will make 6.5 million dollars this season.

Henry, who helped France win a World Cup and Barcelona capture a European Champions League crown, will make 5.6 million dollars in guaranteed money this year after joining the New York Red Bulls, second only to Beckham.

Marquez, who joined Red Bulls from Barcelona after serving as Mexico’s captain in the World Cup, will be paid 5.54 million dollars, putting him third in the league.

All three were signed under special MLS player designations allowing teams to land players that are not covered by the salary cap, the hope being teams that can afford it will spend for big-name talent to boost profits and results.