Wages in the Major League Soccer

This thesis examines the relationship between team performance, individual wages and individual player skills in MLS. This research shows that MLS teams that spend more on wages than its competitors, have a higher chance of obtaining a good ranking. When attracting high-wage players, teams should take the wage disparity into consideration. Higher wage disparity has a negative impact on team performance. Although goalkeeper shot stopping skills affect the team performance positively, shot stopping skills are undervalued in the wages of players. MLS players with above-average chance creating skills earn the highest wages, which is justified by the contribution these skills deliver to the eventual team performance. The player revenue of chance creating skills is even too low compared to the contribution those skills deliver to the team performance.