Lionel Messi Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Lionel Messi’s Net Worth?

Born in Argentina, Lionel Messi is a professional athlete with a net worth estimated at $850 million. Frequently hailed as the greatest soccer player globally, he is also considered one of the finest in history. Undoubtedly, he ranks among the highest-paid players ever. Messi remained with Barcelona from his teenage years until 2021, scoring 672 goals in 778 appearances. On August 10, 2021, it was announced that he would transition from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, and he also represents the Argentina National Team. The Argentina National Team, under Messi’s leadership, clinched the World Cup title on December 18, 2022.

Messi is probably recognized as the highest-paid soccer player worldwide and certainly stands as one of the top-earning athletes in general. His groundbreaking contract with Barcelona in 2017 provided him with an average annual salary of $168 million, along with approximately $70 million annually from endorsements. This placed his total earnings close to $200 million each year. On June 7, 2023, Messi declared that he would be joining David Beckham’s MLS club, Inter Miami, through a unique agreement including revenue sharing from Apple’s MLS season coverage and a stake in the team. More information regarding this contract can be found later in this article. In short, Messi’s base salary at Inter Miami is $60 million, and he will secure 10% ownership of the team at the end of his contract. If the team’s value remains stable after his retirement, that 10% stake could potentially be valued at $200 million or more.

Contrary to claims by some unreliable sources, Lionel Messi is NOT A BILLIONAIRE. By the conclusion of his contract with Barcelona, including endorsements, he had earned over $1.6 billion. By our calculations, he has amassed approximately $1.2 billion in salary to date and around $400 million from endorsements. Some outlets have misinterpreted the statistic regarding his total earnings surpassing $1 billion, erroneously labeling him a “billionaire.”

Lionel Messi Salary and Contracts

During his peak years at Barcelona, Lionel Messi was undoubtedly the highest-paid soccer player worldwide. In 2017, he secured a contract with Barcelona that entailed a base salary of $168 million. For a number of years, the specifics of his contract were closely protected; however, in January 2021, leaked details were revealed by the Spanish newspaper “El Mundo.” Under a previous agreement, his annual base salary stood at $44.68 million.

Upon joining Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021, Messi entered into a two-year contract providing a salary of $75 million per year before tax deductions, approximately $40 million after taxes. Additionally, his contract included opportunities for bonuses based on performance milestones and a share of jersey sales.

Messi further supplements his income by earning an extra $70 million annually through endorsements, including a lifetime deal with Adidas.

$1 Billion Saudi Contract

In May 2023, reports emerged suggesting that Lionel Messi was close to finalizing a $1 billion contract with an undisclosed Saudi Pro League team. The arrangement wouldreports indicate that Lionel may receive a salary of $400 MILLION per season. Should this be accurate, such an annual salary could have nearly surpassed the 2.5-year, $535 million contract Cristiano Ronaldo signed in December 2022 with Al Nassr, a team from the Saudi Pro League. Ultimately, Lionel declined this offer, opting to join David Beckham’s MLS team, Inter Miami.

Inter Miami

On June 7, 2023, news emerged that Messi was set to sign with MLS’s Inter Miami, a franchise co-owned by David Beckham. The reported deal entails an annual salary of $1.03 million per week ($54 million a year) over four years. In an intriguing development, Messi’s contract with Miami will include additional earnings through a revenue share from Apple for subscriptions to its MLS Season Pass. It was subsequently disclosed that Lionel’s contract with Inter Miami offers him a yearly salary of $60 million and a 10% ownership stake in a franchise valued at up to $2 billion.

Adidas Endorsement

As one of the world’s most famous and recognizable athletes, Messi has had an endorsement deal with Adidas since 2006, making him their top brand ambassador. He initially signed with Nike at age 14 but transitioned to Adidas. In 2008, Messi launched a long-running signature collection of Adidas boots and introduced his own sub-brand called Adidas Messi.

Visit Saudi Endorsement Deal

A leaked contract from June 2023 reveals that in January 2021, Lionel entered into a three-year agreement potentially worth $25 million to promote tourism in Saudi Arabia. The contract stipulates several requirements for Lionel:

• #1) He is to take an annual vacation to Saudi Arabia, with the option to bring up to 20 friends. All expenses, including travel and five-star accommodations, are covered, with a minimum vacation duration of five days.
• #2) He must create ten social media posts annually that promote Saudi Arabia, using the kingdom’s approved hashtags.
• #3) He is expected to take part in an annual tourism advertising campaign, which last year involved appearing in a promotional video for Visit Saudi.

For items #2 and #3, he earns $2 million per obligation each year. Additionally, he can earn another $2 million per year for engaging in “charitable work.”

When summed up, over three years, Lionel can potentially earn $25 million for relatively minimal effort, but one caveat exists: the contract, as reported by the Times, specifies that Lionel “cannot say anything that might ‘tarnish’ Saudi Arabia.”

Early Life

Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. His father, Jorge Horacio Messi, worked as a factory steelworker, while his mother, Celia Maria Cuccittini, held a part-time job as a cleaner. He shares a close bond with his two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matias, as well as his sister, Maria Sol. The family often played soccer together along with their cousins, Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi, both of whom also became professional footballers. Messi started playing for the Rosario soccer club at the tender age of six, joining Newell’s Old Boys.

At the age of ten, Lionel received a diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency, and his father faced challenges in affording his medical treatment. Although Newell’s initially agreed to help, they later withdrew their offer. The Sporting Director of FC Barcelona, Carles Rexach, proposed to cover Messi’s medical expenses if he could relocate to Spain. With the consent of Lionel’s father, Rexach created a contract on a napkin, prompting the family to move to Barcelona in February 2001. They settled into an apartment near Camp Nou, the stadium of the club. After his mother and siblings returned to Rosario, Messi experienced homesickness while remaining in Barcelona with his father. After a year, Messi joined the Royal Spanish Football Federation, becoming a member of the “Baby Dream Team,” which featured many of Barcelona’s finest young soccer talents.

Career

At the age of 17, Lionel made his league debut against RCD Espanyol, becoming the third-youngest individual to play for FC Barcelona. At that moment, he was also the youngest player to score for Barcelona. During the 2005-2006 season, Messi started receiving payment as a first-team member and acquired his Spanish citizenship. Additionally, he debuted in the Spanish First Division league. In his first match, he received a standing ovation after scoring a goal, alongside superstar Ronaldinho. He scored six goals in seventeen League appearances and netted one goal out of six in the Champions League. In 2006, Messi became the youngest Argentine to participate and score in the FIFA World Cup.

Following the World Cup, during the 2006-2007 season, Messi sustained an injury from a broken metatarsal, which required three months for recovery. He returned to the field against Racing Santander as a substitute. In March of that season, he made headlines by scoring a hat trick against Real Madrid, becoming the first player since Ivan Zamorano to do so in El Clasico. During the 2007-2008 season, Messi helped elevate Barcelona into the top four of La Liga. He received a nomination as a forward for the FIFA Pro World XI Player Award, and Marca named him the best player in the world. Other publications echoed this sentiment, advocating for Lionel to win the Ballon d’Or. He achieved this feat for the first time in 2009 at the age of 22 and went on to claim three consecutive titles thereafter. In addition to this, he earned an Olympic Gold Medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2012, he broke the La Liga and European records for the most goals scored in a single season, solidifying his status as Barcelona’s all-time top scorer. Over the following two seasons, Messi, now the team captain, placed second for the Ballon d’Or, trailing his career rival Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2014, he led Argentina to the World Cup finals and was awarded the Golden Ball. Although Lionel announced his retirement in 2016, he later reversed this decision and guided Argentina to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They achieved a third-place finish at the 2019 Copa America, and in the same year, Messi claimed a record-breaking sixth Ballon d’Or.

2022 World Cup

On December 18, Lionel and his Argentine teammates triumphed over France in the final of the 2022 World Cup. Excluding penalty kicks, Lionel scored two goals during the match, which extended into overtime and concluded with a shootout.

Charity

The Leo Messi Foundation, founded by Messi, aims to improve education and healthcare opportunities for underprivileged children. This initiative began in 2007 after Messi’s transformative visit to a children’s hospital in Boston. With Herbalife’s support, his foundation finances essential medical treatments, transportation, and recovery for children facing significant health challenges. Since March 2010, Messi has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, taking on a field mission to Haiti to raise public awareness about the difficulties faced by children in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Furthermore, Lionel engages in personal fundraising efforts, including global football matches and contributions to various charitable causes. He provides financial support to numerous youth football clubs in Argentina such as Sarmiento, Rosario Central, Newell’s, River Plate, and Boca Junior. In 2012, Messi contributed to the construction of a new gym and dormitory at his childhood club, Newell’s. His former coach from that club now works as a talent scout for the Messi Foundation.

In March 2020, Messi donated $1 million to aid in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, during the COVID-19 crisis, Lionel and his teammates at Barcelona Football Club took a 70 percent reduction in their salaries to ensure that no club employee faced wage cuts during this global emergency.

Personal Life

Since 2008, Messi has been in a relationship with Antonella Roccuzzo, a fellow Rosario native, having known each other since they were five. They publicly acknowledged their relationship in January 2009 and married in Rosario in June 2007. The couple shares three children: Thiago (born 2012), Mateo (born 2015), and Ciro (born 2018). Lionel maintains a close bond with his immediate family, particularly his mother, whose face is tattooed on his left shoulder. His professional life is largely managed as a family business, with his father serving as his agent since Messi was 14, while his older brother Rodrigo oversees his publicity.

Real Estate

In 2009, Messi purchased a home in the Pedrables neighborhood of Barcelona for $2 million, subsequently investing millions in renovations and improvements. Today, the property is valued between $7 – $10 million.

In November 2019, Lionel acquired a condominium in Miami for $5 million. Following this, in April 2021, he bought the entire ninth floor of a different Miami building for $7.3 million.