Lionel Messi: A Soccer Legend with an $850 Million Net Worth

Lionel Messi: A Soccer Legend with an $850 Million Net Worth.

What Is Lionel Messi's Net Worth?

Lionel Messi, born in Argentina, is a professional athlete with a staggering net worth of $850 million. Widely considered the best soccer player in the world and one of the greatest of all time, he’s definitely among the highest-paid athletes ever. Messi spent his formative years at Barcelona, where he played from his teens until 2021, racking up an impressive 672 goals in 778 matches. On August 10, 2021, it was announced that he would be leaving Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain. He also represents the Argentina National Team, and on December 18, 2022, he helped lead them to victory in the World Cup.

Messi is probably the top earner in soccer and ranks high among all athletes globally. His groundbreaking contract with Barcelona in 2017 gave him an average annual salary of $168 million. On top of that, he pulls in about $70 million a year from endorsements, bringing his total earnings to around $200 million annually. On June 7, 2023, Messi revealed he was joining David Beckham's MLS team, Inter Miami, in a unique deal that includes a share of revenue from Apple’s MLS coverage and an ownership stake in the team. To sum it up, his base salary at Inter Miami is $60 million, and he’ll own 10% of the team by the end of his contract, which could be worth over $200 million if the team’s value holds up after he retires.

Despite some misleading reports, Lionel Messi is NOT a billionaire. By the end of his time at Barcelona, he had earned over $1.6 billion when you factor in endorsements. Our estimates show he’s made around $1.2 billion in salary and $400 million from endorsements. Some sources misinterpreted his total earnings exceeding $1 billion and mistakenly labeled him a "billionaire."

Interesting Facts

Barcelona's deal brought him in $160 million each year.

He rakes in an extra $40-60 million annually from endorsements.

He’s the top-earning athlete in the world, with his total yearly income usually exceeding $200 million.

Throughout his career, he’s made over $1.6 billion from everything combined.

About $900 million comes from his salary and around $400 million from endorsements.

RELATED: Cristiano Ronaldo's Net Worth: A Deep Dive Into His $800 Million Fortune.

Salary and Contracts

During his prime at Barcelona, Lionel Messi was the highest-paid soccer player globally. In 2017, he inked a deal with the club that had a staggering base salary of $168 million. For years, the specifics of his contract were kept under wraps, but in January 2021, the Spanish paper "El Mundo" leaked the details. Before that, he was making an annual base salary of $44.68 million under a different contract.

In August 2021, Messi made the move to Paris Saint-Germain, signing a two-year contract worth about $75 million a year before taxes, which comes to around $40 million after taxes. His deal also included potential bonuses for hitting certain milestones and a share of jersey sales.

On top of that, Messi rakes in an extra $70 million annually from endorsements, including a lifetime deal with Adidas.

$1 Billion Saudi Contract

In May 2023, news broke that Lionel Messi was close to inking a massive $1 billion deal with a mystery team from the Saudi Pro League. This contract was said to offer him a whopping $400 million a year. If that was the case, it would have almost doubled the 2.5-year, $535 million contract Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Al Nassr in December 2022. However, Lionel turned down this lucrative offer and chose to join David Beckham's MLS squad, Inter Miami, instead.

Inter Miami

On June 7, 2023, news broke that Messi was looking to join Inter Miami, the MLS team co-owned by David Beckham. The deal was said to offer him a weekly salary of $1.03 million, totaling around $54 million a year for four years. In a cool twist, Messi's contract with Miami also includes a share of the revenue from Apple’s MLS Season Pass subscriptions. It was later disclosed that Messi's actual salary is $60 million a year, plus he got a 10% ownership stake in the team, which is valued at up to $2 billion.

Adidas Endorsement

Messi, one of the most famous athletes on the planet, has been repping Adidas since 2006 as their top brand ambassador. He initially signed with Nike when he was just 14 but later made the switch to Adidas. By 2008, he launched a popular line of Adidas boots and even got his own sub-brand called Adidas Messi.

Visit Saudi Endorsement Deal

In June 2023, a contract was leaked revealing that Lionel Messi signed a three-year deal back in January 2021, which could earn him $25 million for promoting tourism in Saudi Arabia. Here’s what the contract entails:

#1) He’s required to take an annual trip to Saudi Arabia, bringing along up to 20 friends. All costs are covered, including travel and luxury accommodations, and the trip must be at least five days long.

#2) He needs to post ten times a year on social media to promote Saudi Arabia, using specific hashtags approved by the government.

#3) He has to take part in an annual tourism advertising campaign, which last year involved appearing in a promotional video for Visit Saudi.

For each of the obligations in #2 and #3, he earns $2 million annually. Additionally, he can make another $2 million a year for engaging in "charitable work."

When you add it all up, Lionel stands to make $25 million over three years for relatively light commitments. However, there’s a catch: the contract states that he "cannot say anything that might 'tarnish' Saudi Arabia."

Early Life

Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. His dad, Jorge Horacio Messi, worked in a steel factory, while his mom, Celia Maria Cuccittini, did some cleaning jobs on the side. He grew up close to his two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matias, and his sister, Maria Sol.

The family often kicked a soccer ball around together, along with their cousins, Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi, who also became professional footballers. Messi started playing for the Rosario soccer club at just six years old, joining Newell's Old Boys.

At the age of ten, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, and his dad couldn't afford the treatment anymore. Newell's initially promised to help but later backed out. Then, Carles Rexach, the Sporting Director of FC Barcelona, stepped in and offered to cover the medical costs if Messi moved to Spain. With his dad's okay, Rexach quickly wrote up a contract on a napkin, and the family relocated to Barcelona in February 2001.

They settled into an apartment close to Camp Nou, the club's stadium. Messi felt homesick after his mom and siblings went back to Rosario while he stayed in Barcelona with his dad. A year later, he joined the Royal Spanish Football Federation and became part of the "Baby Dream Team," which was Barcelona's top group of young soccer talent.

Career

At just 17, Lionel stepped onto the field for his first league match against RCD Espanyol, making him the third-youngest player to ever represent FC Barcelona. He also set the record as the youngest player to score for the club. In the 2005-2006 season, Messi started earning a first-team salary and gained his Spanish citizenship, marking his debut in the Spanish First Division.

Fans gave him a warm standing ovation during his first game, where he scored alongside the legendary Ronaldinho. Out of his seventeen appearances in the league, he netted six goals, and he scored once in six Champions League matches. By 2006, Messi had made history as the youngest Argentine to both play and score in the FIFA World Cup.

After the World Cup in the 2006-2007 season, Messi faced a setback with a broken metatarsal that kept him off the field for three months. He made his comeback as a substitute in a match against Racing Santander. By March, he was back in form, scoring a hat trick against Real Madrid, becoming the first player since Ivan Zamorano to achieve that in an El Clasico. During the 2007-2008 season, Messi helped Barcelona climb into the top four of La Liga.

He earned a nomination for the FIFA Pro World XI Player Award as a forward, and Marca named him the best player in the world. Other publications echoed this sentiment, suggesting he should win the Ballon d'Or. He finally snagged his first Ballon d'Or in 2009 at just 22 years old and went on to win three more consecutively. He also brought home an Olympic Gold Medal from the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2012, he broke records in La Liga and Europe for the most goals in a single season, solidifying his status as Barcelona's all-time top scorer.

In the following two seasons, as Barcelona's captain, he finished second for the Ballon d'Or behind his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2014, he guided Argentina to the World Cup finals, earning the Golden Ball for his performance. Although he announced his retirement in 2016, he changed his mind and led Argentina to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, finishing third in the 2019 Copa America. In 2019, Messi made history by winning his sixth Ballon d'Or.

2022 World Cup

On December 18, Lionel and his Argentina squad took down France in the 2022 World Cup final. Excluding penalty kicks, Lionel scored twice during the match, which went into extra time and then a shootout.

Charity

Messi kicked off the Leo Messi Foundation to create better chances for underprivileged kids in education and healthcare. He launched the charity back in 2007 after a visit to a children's hospital in Boston, which really impacted him. With support from Herbalife, his foundation covers medical treatments, transportation, and recovery for kids facing serious health issues. Plus, since March 2010, he’s been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, even going on a mission to Haiti to raise awareness about the struggles kids faced after the earthquake.

On top of that, Messi gets involved in individual fundraising events like global football matches and supports various charities. He also backs several youth football clubs in Argentina, including Sarmiento, Rosario Central, Newell's, River Plate, and Boca Juniors. At Newell's, his childhood club, he helped fund a new gym and dorm at the stadium in 2012. His old coach from there now works with the Messi Foundation as a talent scout for young players.

In March 2020, Messi stepped up and donated $1 million to help combat the coronavirus outbreak. Plus, he and his Barcelona teammates agreed to a 70 percent pay cut during the COVID-19 crisis to ensure that no workers at the club would see their salaries reduced during such a tough time.

Personal Life

Lionel has been with Antonela Roccuzzo, who hails from the same city of Rosario, since 2008. They’ve been friends since they were just five years old and went public with their relationship in January 2009. The couple tied the knot in Rosario in June 2007. They have three kids together:

Thiago (born in 2012), Mateo (born in 2015), and Ciro (born in 2018). Lionel remains super close to his family, especially his mom, whose face he has tattooed on his left shoulder. Most of his professional dealings are managed like a family business, with his dad acting as his agent since he was 14, and his older brother Rodrigo taking care of his publicity.

RELATED: Carmelo Anthony's Massive $160 Million Net Worth & Career Earnings Breakdown.

Real Estate

In 2009, Messi dropped $2 million on a house in the Pedrables area of Barcelona. He later invested millions more into renovations and upgrades. Now, that place is valued between $7 and $10 million.

Fast forward to November 2019, and Lionel snagged a condo in Miami for $5 million. Then in April 2021, he went all out and bought the entire ninth floor of another building in Miami for $7.3 million.

Lionel Messi stands as a global icon, celebrated not only for his extraordinary talent but also for his humility and dedication. With over $1.2 billion in career earnings and a net worth of $850 million, Messi's achievements extend beyond soccer. His six Ballon d'Or awards, 2022 World Cup victory, and unmatched record at Barcelona affirm his legacy as one of the greatest athletes ever.

Beyond the field, Messi is a devoted philanthropist, family man, and inspiration to millions. Whether through his Leo Messi Foundation or his leadership in sports, Messi continues to leave an indelible mark on the world.