2) Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders ($6.7 million)
Clint Dempsey plays for Seattle Sounders FC in MLS. He is also the captain of the US national team. He played for Premier League team Fulham between 2007 and 2012. He became the first American player to score a hat-trick in the English Premier League, in the 5-2 win over Newcastle United in January 2012. He signed with Seattle Sounders FC as a Designated Player on a four-year contract on August 3 2013, for a transfer fee of $9 million. In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Dempsey scored 30 seconds into a match against Ghana. The goal is the fifth fastest goal in World Cup history. He is one of the few Americans with lucrative endorsements from companies like Pepsi, Upper Deck and Nike.
1) Kaka, Orlando City ($7.17 million)
Popularly known as Kaka, Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite joined Orlando City as their first Designated Player. Kaka is a household name among soccer fans worldwide. He has won Serie A, La Liga, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup. His guaranteed compensation of around $7.2 million places him right on top of the list. In 2003, he joined Milan for a fee of €8.5 million. After his success with Milan, he joined Real Madrid for a transfer fee of €65 million. Until Orlando enters the Major League Soccer in 2015, he is to be loaned to his first club Sao Paulo.
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