Austin FC, one of the newest teams in Major League Soccer, has quickly made its mark on the league with a roster of talented players from around the world. As the team enters its third season, fans are eager to know more about the salaries of their favorite players.
The average base salary of an Austin FC player is $585,932 with an average annualized guaranteed compensation of $704,161 on a roster of 28 players. The highest-paid player is Sebastián Driussi, with a base salary of $3,800,000 and guaranteed compensation of $6,022,500.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the salaries of Austin FC players, including the highest earners and the average salary on the team. Additionally, we’ll analyze the spending on the highest earners and see how it affects the team’s overall performance. We will also explore how Austin FC’s spending compares to other MLS teams.
Table of Contents
- Austin FC Salaries
- Top 3 Highest-Paid Players
- The proportion of spending on the Highest Earners
- Austin FC Salaries Compared to Other MLS Teams
- Funding: Where Is The Money Coming From?
Austin FC Salaries
Here is a breakdown of The Verde and Black players’ base salary and guaranteed compensation.
Top 3 Highest-Paid Players
The players with the highest compensation of Austin FC are:
- Sebastián Driussi – $6,022,500
- Emiliano Rigoni – $2,047,996
- Alexander Ring – $1,640,000
1. Sebastián Driussi – $6,022,500
Sebastián Driussi was born on February 9, 1996, in San Justo, Argentina. In July 2021, it was announced that Driussi would be joining Austin FC as a designated player. The move was seen as a major coup for the new MLS team, as Driussi had previously been linked with moves to several top European clubs.
Driussi’s transfermarkt value is currently estimated at €15 million, making him one of the most valuable players not only on the Austin FC roster, but also of the league.
As a designated player, Driussi’s compensation is $4,391,667, making him the highest-paid player on the Austin FC roster. With his impressive track record and high salary, Driussi is expected to be a key player for the team.
2. Emiliano Rigoni – $2,047,996
Rigoni started his professional career with Belgrano in Argentina, where he played from 2013 to 2016. He then moved to Independiente, another Argentine club, where he played from 2016 to 2017. During his time at Independiente, he won the Copa Sudamericana title in 2017.
In 2017, Rigoni transferred to Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia for a fee of €9 million. He played for Zenit from 2017 to 2019, winning the Russian Premier League title in 2019. He then played with Atalanta in Italy and Elche in Spain before joining Austin FC in July 2021.
Rigoni’s transfermarkt value is currently estimated at €3.5 million, below his highest market value of €8 million. As a designated player, Rigoni’s compensation is $2,047,996, the second-highest earner on the Austin FC roster
3. Alexander Ring – $1,640,000
Born on April 9, 1991, in Helsinki, Finland, Alexander Ring is a defensive midfielder and also designated player for Los Verdes since December 2020 when he was announced he would be joining Austin FC as a key addition to the team’s midfield. His experience and leadership were seen as important assets for the new MLS team.
Such a key asset that the club agreed to a new contract to keep the Finnish player for 2022 and 2023 with two options in 2024 and 2025.
Ring’s transfermarkt value is currently estimated at €1.5 million and his compensation is $1,640,000, making him the third highest-paid player on the team. He’s known for his tough tackling and ability to break up opposition attacks, as well as his passing range and ability to control the tempo of the game.
In terms of career accomplishments, Ring has won several domestic titles in Finland and Germany, as well as the Finnish Footballer of the Year award in 2015 and 2016. He’s also a regular member of the Finnish national team, having earned over 60 caps since making his debut in 2011.
The proportion of spending on the Highest Earners
As is a common trend in most MLS clubs, Austin FC allocates a significant proportion of their spending to a select group of top earners: the designated players. Looking at the proportion between designated players and the rest of the team, they account for 49% of the Los Verdes payroll.
In particular, Sebastián Driussi stands out as the highest earner accounting for a third of the team payroll. This top earner vs the rest of the players’ proportion is similar to the Houston Dynamos, where Héctor Herrerar accounts for 30% of the Houston roster salary.
Austin FC Salaries Compared to Other MLS Teams
Austin FC is among the top 5 MLS teams with the highest roster compensation of just a little under $20 million, below other teams such as Atlanta United and DC United.
When it comes to average player salary, DC United surprisingly ranks 10th in the league, with an average salary of $535,794, despite being the club with the 5th highest payroll in the MLS.
Their superstar Sebastián Driussi is also among the top 5 highest compensated players in the league just below other important names such as Xherdan Shaqiri, Lorenzo Insigne, Javier Hernández, and Federico Bernardeschi.
Funding: Where Is The Money Coming From?
Austin FC’s significant investment in player salaries has raised questions about where the money is coming from. According to the team’s ownership group, Precourt Sports Ventures, the funding for Austin FC’s player salaries comes from a variety of sources, including private investment and sponsorship deals.
One of the team’s primary investors is Anthony Precourt, who also formerly owned the Columbus Crew in MLS. In addition to Precourt, Austin FC has attracted investment from several other high-profile individuals and organizations, including actor Matthew McConaughey and local tech company Q2 Holdings.
These investors have provided significant financial backing for the team’s operations and player salaries.
Another source of funding for Austin FC is sponsorship deals with local and national companies. In 2021, the team announced a multi-year partnership with St. David’s HealthCare, a leading healthcare provider in Austin.
The partnership includes naming rights for the team’s training facility and other promotional opportunities. Austin FC has also secured sponsorship deals with other companies, including Yeti and Heineken.
Overall, Austin FC’s funding model appears to be a mix of private investment and sponsorship deals.
