With an estimated net worth of $650 million, Lionel Messi is clearly not just among the richest footballers in the world, but also one of the wealthiest sportsmen of all time. Over his illustrious career, his unmatched skills and contributions to the game have enthralled fans all across the globe.

Juxtapose

How does Messi's wealth compare to the financial magnitude of Cristiano Ronaldo?

Starting his career at FC Barcelona, where he stayed almost two decades and became the all-time top scorer for the team, Messi amassed a plethora of medals, including a UEFA Champions League and many La Liga championships, on his way to becoming the most decorated player in football history

His eight Ballon d'Or medals and record-breaking achievements have earned him recognition as the best left-footed football player of all time. Due to Barcelona's financial problems, Messi left the team in 2021 and made public his transfer to PSG, where he kept displaying his qualities before he joined Inter Miami of Major League Soccer in 2023, further augmenting his wealth. 

Messi's fortune will be explored in-depth in this post, with particular attention to his charitable activities, real estate holdings, income and contracts, luxury car purchases, and endorsement deals. Examining these areas will help us to better grasp Messi's methods for acquiring and preserving his fortune as well as his legacy in the football and non-football spheres. 

Salary and football contracts

Lionel Messi is among the best paid athletes in the world, with his salary from football contracts steadily rising over his career. At the start of his professional career at FC Barcelona, he signed a number of contracts that over several decades grew more profitable, with his 2017 extension securing a yearly gross revenue of more than €70 million, among other significant deals. 

This contract confirmed his ranking among the highest earners worldwide and reflected his great importance to the Catalan team. Unfortunately, the financial predicaments of Barcelona marked the end of Messi's illustrious career there in August 2021. 

After that, he signed a contract with PSG which secured him a net annual income of about €35 million. Aside from his base salary, this contract included a range of performance-related rewards and incentives that significantly raised his overall income, the same as in past contracts. 

In addition to his remuneration, Messi earned from image rights, which helped him benefit from the endorsement deals of the team and positioned him among the highest-paid athletes worldwide throughout his stay at PSG. 

Messi's total earnings of $127 million in 2019 ranked him top among athletes by Forbes, with reports claiming that his several sponsorships and substantial pay at Barcelona and PSG raised his net worth to $400 million by 2021.

Though the COVID-19 epidemic had economic effects, Messi was still a financial powerhouse in 2020, ranking third behind only the very affluent Cristiano Ronaldo and Roger Federer. 

Messi made yet another well-publicised move in 2023 when he joined MLS franchise Inter Miami, with reports stating that a special revenue-sharing agreement with league sponsors like Apple and Adidas raises his yearly contract value with Inter Miami by an extra $50–$60 million.

This agreement has fundamentally changed American football's financial situation as match attendance, television broadcasting rights, and memorabilia sales have all increased thanks in part to Messi. 

His No. 10 Inter Miami shirts in particular have started to sell fastest among all the sports jerseys in the United States, with the entire Major League Soccer benefiting financially with the Argentine’s signing. 

Messi is mostly responsible for Inter Miami's four-fold income rise inside a year, estimated at $200 million a year, with tickets' resale prices also rising by 1,700%, indicating sold-out stadiums throughout the country. 

Outside the pitch, his influence on the economy is clear from the club's growth, mostly resulting from jersey sales and endorsement deals. 

As of 2024, Inter Miami pays Messi a base salary of over $12 million, along with bonuses worth another $20 million. When his share in the team and his other business activities are taken into account, his yearly football earnings alone surpass $60 million

Messi's annual pay exceeds $200 million because of his profitable relationships with Apple, Adidas, and his clothing company, as well as his on-field performance. Forbes estimates his net worth in 2024 at $650 million. 

Throughout his outstanding career, he made more than $1.3 billion, with $900 million coming from wages and $400 million from sponsorships. 

Lionel Messi's current salary breakdown

To provide a more complete knowledge of his earnings, here's a breakdown of Messi's salary: 

  • Annual salary: $60,000,000
  • Monthly salary: $5,000,000
  • Weekly salary: $1,250,000
  • Daily salary: $164,384
  • Hourly salary: $6,849
  • Minute salary: $114.15
  • Second salary: $1.90

Lionel Messi's financial records provide another proof of his supremacy in income outside football.

Endorsements and sponsorships

Apart from his excellent on-field performance, Lionel Messi's remarkable career has been marked by his exceptional off-field riches, which stem from lucrative endorsement deals. Messi is among the most sought-after sports marketing icons due in great part to his large portfolio of well-known sponsorships. 

As of 2023, sponsorship deals fetched Messi over $55 million a year, greatly increasing his fortune. 

A long-standing partnership with Adidas

Messi's most important and longest-lasting sponsorship is with Adidas. He formed a partnership at the beginning of his career in 2006 that would later help him become the face of the German sportswear giant. 

In February 2017, Messi, with his unique line of signature shoes and other products, signed a lifetime contract with Adidas projected to earn €10 million a year, making him, alongside David Beckham, one of the few sportsmen the company has ever worked with under such a scheme. 

PepsiCo brands: A success legacy

For a long period of time, Messi has represented numerous PepsiCo brands, including Pepsi, Lay's, and Gatorade, as their spokesman, and is currently among the most well-known sportsmen in the world thanks to these endorsement deals, having appeared in print, television, and social media ads. 

In fact, Messi's reputation outside of the field revolves mostly on his long-standing connection with PepsiCo products, with estimated $30 million annual deals confirming his strong presence in the American and worldwide markets.

Huawei and other Asian market sponsors

Messi's following spans not only Europe and South America. Following a major deal in 2016 with Huawei, he made €6 million yearly serving as brand ambassador for the Chinese technology behemoth. 

Since 2013, Messi has also been linked to Ooredoo, a Qatari telecom company, and Mengniu Group, a Chinese dairy producer. 

A key component of Messi's worldwide business plan, these partnerships also show his growing market worth in Asia. 

Cirque du Soleil and The Messi Experience Park

The show "Messi10" by Cirque du Soleil debuted in 2019 and marked Messi's entry into the entertainment business by creatively highlighting Lionel Messi's life and career in a way that mixed acrobatics with football. Messi10 toured globally, making stops at Saudi Arabia and Qatar before ending in Argentina in 2023. 

The Messi Experience Park in Nanjing, China, with an investment of €170 million, was the grand brainchild of Mediapro and the Phoenix Group. Although the pandemic delayed the park's opening, visitors are still expecting the football-themed experience honouring Messi's career. 

North American Endorsements: Mastercard and Jacob & Co.

Messi's North American portfolio is very vast. He teamed up with Mastercard in 2018 and started to show up in commercials against child malnutrition alongside Neymar, before partnering with another notable brand, the upscale watchmaker Jacob & Co., in 2019, with whom he has been working to create limited-edition timepieces that combine his image with the remarkable workmanship of the brand.

Expanding influence: new partnerships and Inter Miami

Messi has been steadily adding more endorsements to his portfolio in recent years, and his remarkable worldwide appeal is reflected by his ability to keep and grow his slate of sponsors. By 2022, his portfolio included Budweiser, BYJU'S, Socios.com, and Orcam. 

The Argentine 2023 transfer to Inter Miami only helped to increase his marketability, with reports suggesting that AppleTV and Adidas participated in the deal that led him to the United States. 

Apart from his great playing career, Lionel Messi's financial empire has grown dramatically in recent years thanks to his strong brand in IT, dairy, football gear, and entertainment.

Business ventures and investments

Lionel Messi's on-field achievements have helped him become well-known in several sectors of the business world, and his smart investment choices in a range of industries, including hotels and technology, have produced a varied portfolio. 

These efforts have paid off handsomely over the years, building his reputation as a brilliant football player and businessman. Messi's most important business initiatives and investments are chronologically listed below. 

Hotels

Since the mid-2010s, Messi's MiM Hotels brand has expanded to encompass several luxurious resorts in Spain and Andorra, representing one of his most successful projects thus far.

Under direction from the Majestic Hotel Group, his chain offers five-star hotels in prime sites. Among the most notable features are the following:

  1. MiM Sitges

    Located around 100 metres from Sitges Beach, MiM Sitges was one of Messi's first investments in the hotel sector. It provides guests with a luxurious coastal experience. 

  2. MiM Ibiza

    With its modern furniture and close proximity to the world-class Ses Figueretes shoreline, MiM Ibiza perfectly embodies the refined yet carefree attitude of Ibiza.

  3. MiM Mallorca

    Perfect for a romantic retreat, MiM Mallorca is an adults-only hotel in S'illot with amazing views of the Mediterranean.

  4. MiM Baqueira

    Nestled at the base of the Baqueira Beret ski slopes, MiM Baqueira is a resort with 141 tastefully equipped rooms aimed at the comfort and elegance of winter sports aficionados.

  5. MiM Andorra

    Messi's most opulent hotel, the five-star MiM Andorra, which opened in February 2023, boasts 34 first-rate rooms along with a "Leo Messi Suite," comprising a jacuzzi and hydromassage shower.

Apart from this, Messi is the owner of Casa Canut, a five-star hotel in Andorra renowned for its cuisine. As of 2024, his hotel businesses apparently bring in more than $400 million a month, among other very profitable commercial ventures. 

Canut, a five-star hotel in Andorra Owned by Lionel Messi

Fashion

The Messi Store, his 2019 foray into the clothing industry that reflects his image and character, was creatively directed by Ginny Hilfiger, sister of famous designer Tommy Hilfiger. 

Including t-shirts, sweatshirts, outerwear, and accessories, the Messi Store presents a wide range of products for every age and gender. 

Messi's regular appearances in commercials for the clothing further confirm the fashion sector's connection with his personal brand. 

Wine

Messi started his quest for winemaking in 2018 under the direction of Bodega Bianchi by launching the "Leo" and "L10" wine labels. But his most important work since Argentina's 2023 World Cup triumph was his 2023 Malbec, "¿que Mira' Bobo?" Named for his now-famous World Cup outburst, this wine sold rather well on the MercadoLibre market. 

Technology

Messi grew his entrepreneurial aspirations further in 2022 when he started the San Francisco-based investment company Play Time Sports-Tech HoldCo, which mostly targets companies in the sectors of sports, media, and technology as main investments. Among Silicon Valley executives Messi has worked with are investment advisor Michael Marquez and Matchday.com co-founder Razmig Hovaghimian. 

The business also manages Messi's image rights and personal brand and also funds projects like AC Momento, which auctions match-worn jerseys from eminent football players, internationalising the culture of football. 

Through Play Time, Messi hopes to inspire technology innovation and entrepreneurs, thereby expanding into other fields, including football academies and entertainment.

As his career on the pitch draws to a close, Messi is solidifying his financial legacy in sectors outside of football as his business develops and continues to change. 

Private properties, cars, and assets

Lionel Messi's net worth has been much augmented throughout the years by the accumulation of a varied range of costly possessions, including real estate and luxury cars, with his investments showing both his financial sense. 

Current Properties

Fort Lauderdale, Miami home

In 2024, the Messi family acquired a penthouse in Miami's Posh Bay Colony area, which is regarded as a key real estate investment and lies just sixteen minutes from the Inter Miami stadium. 

Comprising nine bathrooms, eight en suite bedrooms, a modern kitchen with an island, spacious living areas, a spa, a gym, and a garage capable of three cars, all within an area of almost 3,000 square metres, this home design defines its modern look with opulent materials, including marble and Murano glass as well as custom pieces from Loris Morris's one-of-a-kind designs and opulent materials. 

In addition to a terrace with a little fishing pier, the house offers amazing canal views. The annual property taxes on this particular estate amount to around €77,000.

Castelldefels mansion

For more than ten years, Messi lived mostly in his mansion in Castelldefels, a town near Barcelona. 

Originally bought for $2 million in 2009, the property is now worth about $7 million after major remodelling. 

Messi and his family have lots of room spread over the large estate, which features a personal football pitch, a spa, a theatre, a swimming pool, a big veranda, and other facilities. 

Porsche Design Tower condominium

Messi added to his real estate holdings in 2019 when he paid $5 million for the 47th-floor unit overlooking the opulent Porsche Design Tower in Sunny Isles Beach. 

With three bedrooms, four and a half baths, and wide ocean views, this 3,500-square-foot house is sure to wow. 

Among the unusual elements of this tower are a restaurant, a sauna, and a glass vehicle lift. 

Regalia Tower residence

Messi paid $7.3 million for the ninth floor of the Regalia Tower in Sunny Isles Beach two years after his first purchase in the area. 

Four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, and a curved terrace spanning the whole apartment to offer broad shore views define this amazing property, in addition to a wine room. 

La Fortaleza

In what is likely to be his primary residence when he retires from football, Messi in 2022 built a grand mansion in Rosario, Argentina, known as "La Fortaleza." 

The three-parcel property includes a gym, a theatre, and an underground garage with fifteen parking spaces, signifying Messi's aspirations for a significant car collection after retirement. 

Ibiza mansion

Messi also bought a villa in Ibiza to use as a vacation home for $11.18 million. Despite the building delays brought on by the need for permits, this house perfectly reflects his taste for luxury and leisure. 

Luxury cars

Messi has made around €1 million in purchases of sports cars and SUVs, with his collection including notable brands, such as: 

  • Cadillac Escalade: a high-performance SUV costing around €100,000
  • Range Rover Evoque: a premium SUV costing around €50,000
  • Range Rover: the stronger variant Priced around 125,000 euros
  • Lexus LX570: valued at 100,000 euros
  • Ferrari F430 Spider: a vintage car available at around €180,000
  • Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale: valued at 180,000 euros
  • Mini Cabrio: a thrilling and fun addition to his collection costing €50,000

Private jet

As if his luxury car collection were not flashy enough, Messi also owns a private jet called the Gulfstream jet thought to be worth $15 million, which he bought in 2018 and registered in Argentina for luxurious and comfortable travels. 

Along with sixteen passenger seats, this private aircraft boasts a PlayStation 5, TVs, and also has a fully loaded kitchen and two bathrooms.

Given its Rolls-Royce engines allow it to fly at velocities of up to 940 km per hour and cover distances more than 10,000 km, it is fitting for one of the highest paid athletes in the world.

Messi's large holdings in real estate, luxury cars, and private aircraft clearly show his desire to give his family a rich and comfortable way of life, as well as his smart financial management.

These assets not only boost his fortune but also show his will to create a legacy outside of athletics. 

Contributions to Generosity and Charity

In addition to his remarkable on-field performance, Lionel Messi has made major contributions to charity. Over the course of his career, Messi has consistently shown a great will to make use of his wealth and power for the advantage of others, especially children. 

Messi founded the Leo Messi Foundation in 2007 to guarantee that poor children can receive education and healthcare. The organisation has sponsored scholarships, medical treatment, and athletic events, among other projects, for poor children. 

Messi has also actively participated in several international projects aiming at improving children's health, education, and economic situation, as well as against poverty. Since 2010, he has been acting as a goodwill ambassador, working with groups including UNICEF. 

In this regard, he has supported UNICEF's projects to provide access to healthcare and education for all and argued for children's rights. Apart from his activities with UNICEF, Messi has helped a wide range of charitable causes by attending events and matches. 

Moreover, he has promised to donate some of his fortune to research on ailments including cancer and disaster assistance. At the height of the COVID-19 epidemic, Messi donated €1 million to organisations in Spain and Argentina, proving his commitment to public health and community support. 

Lionel Messi net worth and total income: At a glance

Lionel Messi's remarkable talent, persistence, and shrewd financial decisions directly led to his development from a child savant in Rosario, Argentina, to among the richest athletes in the world. 

Messi's projected net worth of $650 million comes from a varied financial portfolio, including substantial earnings from contracts with top teams including Inter Miami, PSG, and FC Barcelona, but his incredible story goes well beyond his amazing performance on the football pitch. 

Messi's pay breakdown shows amazing numbers, with his annual salary from football alone coming out to be more than $60 million, while endorsement deals with global companies like Apple and Adidas push his overall annual income towards the $200 million mark. 

Along with his football income, Messi's real estate holdings—which include luxury homes in Barcelona, Rosario, Miami, and Rosario—add to his riches, with his wealth considerably enhanced by his many business investments.

His efforts at entrepreneurship in the hotel sector transcend the MiM Hotels brand, and he has strategically invested in IT and businesses. 

Beyond mere sponsorships, his collaborations with companies include the launch of shoe and clothing lines to augment his net worth. 

Messi's personal jet adds even more degree of comfort and convenience, and his collection of high-end cars—which includes the Ferrari F430 and Maserati Gran Turismo—clearly shows his love of luxury vehicles. 

Moreover, via his charitable activities—especially the Leo Messi Foundation—Messenger has had a significant impact on society by donating millions to many different charity causes, including education and healthcare for poor youngsters. 

All things considered, Lionel Messi's extraordinary football career and later financial success are best reflected by the great mix of natural ability, financial savvy, and a sincere wish to change the world. 

As Messi ebbs into the twilight of his career, he will surely leave a lasting legacy and has confirmed his reputation as a football hero and a strong economic force on and off the pitch.