Tag: Xherdan Shaqiri

Dayne St. Clair tells Xherdan Shaqiri he has no balls, promptly gets scored on

The Chicago Fire star didn’t take the bait, scoring from the spot

Dayne St. Clair and Xherdan Shaqiri had a delightfully entertaining exchange before the latter took a penalty against the former, with the Minnesota United goalkeeper telling the Chicago Fire star he has “no balls.”

The Loons took a 1-0 lead in Thursday night’s Leagues Cup match before the Fire drew a second-half penalty and were given a chance to equalize.

Shaqiri stepped up to the spot and thanks to some expert camerawork, we saw the entire exchange between the Swiss star and St. Clair.

The Minnesota shot-stopper seemed to dare Shaqiri to try a Panenka, goading him on by, erm, questioning his manhood.

Shaqiri didn’t take the bait, sending St. Clair the wrong way to equalize.

Point, Shaqiri. The Fire would go on to win 3-2.

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Xherdan Shaqiri is once again the highest-paid player in MLS

The Swiss star tops the list, with Lorenzo Insigne in second place

The MLS Players Association has unveiled its 2023 salary guide, releasing the salaries for every player in the league.

With a guaranteed compensation of $8.2 million, Chicago Fire winger Xherdan Shaqiri has regained his position atop the list of the league’s highest-paid players. The Swiss star is followed by Toronto FC forward Lorenzo Insigne at $7.5 million.

Shaqiri topped the list last spring, before Insigne surpassed him with a $14 million salary after joining at midseason. But the Italy international has seen his salary reduced in his second MLS season, moving him back to second place.

Though he’s the league’s highest earner, Shaqiri has put up respectable but unspectacular statistics: seven goals and 12 assists in 36 matches over two seasons while playing for one of the league’s worst teams.

Shaqiri and Insigne are followed by LA Galaxy forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernández ($7.4 million), TFC forward Federico Bernardeschi ($6.3 million) and Austin FC playmaker Sebastián Driussi ($6 million) in the top five.

Among teams TFC and the Galaxy lead the way, with CF Montréal and St. Louis City at the bottom for collective spending on player salaries.

Top 10 highest-paid MLS players*

  1. Xherdan Shaqiri, Chicago Fire: $8.2 million
  2. Lorenzo Insigne, Toronto FC: $7.5 million
  3. Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, LA Galaxy: $7.4 million
  4. Federico Bernardeschi, Toronto FC: $6.3 million
  5. Sebastián Driussi, Austin FC: $6 million
  6. Héctor Herrera, Houston Dynamo: $5.3 million
  7. Douglas Costa, LA Galaxy: $4.5 million
  8. Luiz Araújo, Atlanta United: $4.5 million
  9. Christian Benteke, DC United: $4.4 million
  10. Josef Martínez, Inter Miami: $4.4 million

*All salaries in guaranteed compensation.

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Xherdan Shaqiri is the highest-paid player in MLS

The 30-year-old Swiss star will make upwards of $8 million guaranteed this season

New Chicago Fire signing Xherdan Shaqiri is the highest-paid player in MLS with a guaranteed compensation of $8.2 million, according to data published on Tuesday by the MLS Players Association.

The Swiss international joined Chicago in February from French side Lyon, signing a contract through 2024.

Shaqiri beat out LA Galaxy star Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who came in second on the list with a guaranteed compensation of $6m. The rest of the top five was rounded out by Inter Miami’s Gonzalo Higuaín ($5.8m), Toronto FC’s Alejandro Pozuelo ($4.7m) and Jozy Altidore of the New England Revolution ($4.3m).

All of the salary data is current as of April 15, meaning Toronto FC’s big-money acquisition of Lorenzo Insigne from Napoli is not included. When Insigne arrives in midseason, he will reportedly smash Shaqiri’s mark by making roughly $15 million per year.

When it comes to total team spending, Atlanta United has the highest payroll, spending almost $21 million on guaranteed compensation for its players. Real Salt Lake has the lowest team payroll at $10.5m.

The Players Association also spotlighted an 11th-straight season of salary growth, with the average base salary for senior roster non-Designated Players growing from $397,753 in 2021 to $438,728 in 2022.

Highest-paid MLS players by guaranteed compensation

  1. Xherdan Shaqiri – $8.2 million
  2. Javier Hernandez – $6 million
  3. Gonzalo Higuaín – $5.8 million
  4. Alejandro Pozuelo – $4.7 million
  5. Jozy Altidore – $4.3 million (includes buyout from Toronto FC)
  6. Josef Martínez – $4.1 million
  7. Carlos Vela – $4 million
  8. Luiz Araújo – $3.9 million
  9. Lucas Zelarayán – $3.7 million
  10. Carles Gil – $3.6 million

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