Exploring Lionel Messi’s Impressive Net Worth
For soccer icon Lionel Messi, $650 million isn’t a hypothetical shopping list—it’s his approximate net worth. According to financial reports from sources like Forbes, the global superstar has built a personal fortune that places him among the wealthiest athletes in history. But how does one person accumulate so much money just from kicking a ball?
This massive figure isn’t his yearly salary. The total Lionel Messi net worth is the value of everything he owns—cash, real estate, and investments—minus any debts. Think of it like your own finances on a giant scale: if your house is worth $300,000 but you have a $100,000 mortgage, your net worth from the house is $200,000. It’s the grand total of his accumulated wealth over his entire career.
His financial empire rests on three powerful pillars. The first is incredible on-field earnings from team salaries and bonuses. The second, and even more significant, is his portfolio of off-field endorsements with global brands like Adidas and Apple. Finally, a growing collection of business ventures, from hotels to fashion, ensures his fortune continues to work for him.
How Much Has Messi Made From Playing Soccer?
When you’re one of the greatest players of all time, clubs will pay almost anything to have you. For years, Messi’s primary source of income was his massive club salary. At his peak with FC Barcelona, reports suggest he was earning well over $100 million per season from the club alone, making him the highest-paid athlete on the planet at the time.
However, a top-tier contract isn’t just a simple salary. To entice superstars like Messi, clubs often include enormous one-time payments called signing bonuses. When Messi made his sensational move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), he reportedly received a signing bonus of around $25 million on top of his regular wages.
Combining his base salary and bonuses, Messi’s on-field earnings have been truly historic. His final contract with Barcelona was famously one of the largest in sports history, worth up to a potential $168 million per year. Even his two-year stint in France’s top league brought in an estimated $75 million annually before taxes. While these on-field earnings built the foundation of his immense fortune, they are only half of the story.
The Global Brands Paying Messi Millions
While his club salary is staggering, the money Messi makes without touching a soccer ball is equally impressive. Global companies pay him millions to use his name and face to promote their products. For top athletes, these off-field earnings can be more lucrative than their playing contracts, providing a stable income stream that lasts long after their careers end.
Perhaps the most powerful example is Messi’s lifetime contract with Adidas. This partnership is reportedly worth up to $1 billion, ensuring he remains a face of the brand for the rest of his life. It’s one of the richest individual sponsorship deals in sports history and the cornerstone of his financial empire, providing more long-term security than nearly any club contract could.
Of course, Adidas is far from his only partner. His global appeal attracts a wide range of companies. Some of his most visible partnerships include:
- PepsiCo (for brands like Pepsi and Lay’s)
- Budweiser
- Hard Rock International
- Mastercard
These deals collectively add tens of millions to his annual income. Yet, paid partnerships are just one piece of his off-field strategy, as Messi increasingly uses his vast fortune to build businesses of his own.
From Hotels to Fashion: Messi’s Investment Portfolio
Instead of just saving his massive paychecks, Messi puts his fortune to work by investing in his own businesses. This is a smart way to ensure his wealth continues to build long after he hangs up his cleats, creating income streams completely separate from his athletic career.
His most visible business venture is MIM Hotels, a chain of boutique hotels he owns in partnership with the Majestic Hotel Group. These stylish properties are located in high-end tourist destinations like Ibiza and Majorca. This isn’t just a celebrity hobby; it’s a significant real-world investment that turns his on-field earnings into tangible, income-generating assets.
Beyond hotels, Messi has also launched his own premium lifestyle brand, The Messi Store, and maintains a sprawling real estate portfolio with properties in Spain, Argentina, and the United States. These moves show a clear strategy of diversifying his wealth to build a durable business empire.
Why Messi’s Inter Miami Deal Is a Game-Changer
When Messi joined Inter Miami, headlines buzzed about his paycheck. While his salary is reported to be over $50 million per year, that number is just the tip of the iceberg. The truly revolutionary parts of his contract are off the field, creating a deal that rewrites the rules for how superstar athletes are paid.
A huge piece of this new model is a revenue-sharing agreement with Apple TV+. Instead of just a flat fee, Messi reportedly gets a cut of the revenue from new subscribers who sign up for the MLS Season Pass to watch his games. The more popular the service becomes because of him, the more he earns, making the deal’s value potentially immense.
Beyond that, Messi was also given something even more powerful: an ownership share, or “equity stake,” in the Inter Miami team itself. This means he isn’t just an employee; he’s a part-owner. As his presence drives up the club’s profile, ticket sales, and merchandise revenue, the team becomes more valuable—and his personal net worth grows right along with it.
This combination of a top-tier salary, a share of streaming revenue, and actual club ownership is what makes his contract a true game-changer. It’s a blueprint for athletes to build long-term wealth, not just collect a paycheck.
Is Lionel Messi a Billionaire?
The direct answer is no—at least, not yet. While sources like Forbes estimate his net worth to be around $650 million, that figure only tells part of his financial story. The source of confusion is a different, even more staggering number: his total career earnings.
Across his two decades at the top, he has earned well over $1.5 billion from salaries, bonuses, and endorsements. In the great messi vs ronaldo net worth 2024 debate, this puts both legends in a similar stratosphere, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s net worth also estimated to be in the hundreds of millions.
But how can his earnings be so high while his net worth is lower? Think of career earnings as the grand total of every paycheck you’ve ever received. Your net worth is what you actually have after paying for taxes, living expenses, and other costs. For Messi, it’s the difference between all the money that has flowed through his hands versus the wealth he has successfully accumulated and invested.
Beyond Business: How Messi Spends and Gives Back
A fortune of that size naturally raises the question: what does Messi spend his money on? Beyond his business investments, he enjoys the fruits of his labor with an enviable collection of luxury cars and a growing real estate portfolio that includes properties in Barcelona, Paris, Miami, and his hometown of Rosario, Argentina.
However, a significant part of his financial activity is focused on philanthropy. Through the Lionel Messi Foundation charity, founded in 2007, he has donated millions to support vulnerable children, funding everything from hospital wings to educational programs around the globe. It’s a mission he has described as being deeply personal.
The Blueprint for a Billion-Dollar Athlete
The blueprint behind Lionel Messi’s net worth is a clear, three-part strategy that goes far beyond a simple salary. He operates more like a global corporation than an employee. His massive salaries provided the foundation, but the real empire was built through worldwide endorsements and sophisticated business investments that give him a stake in the outcome.
The next time you hear about a major athlete’s contract, you’ll know to look past the salary for the business deal. Messi didn’t just earn a fortune; he created a new playbook for how future athletes can build true, lasting wealth.