Messi: Billionaire Earnings Explored
Soccer Icon Lionel Messi Reaches Billionaire Status with MLS Salary and Lucrative Endorsements
Anonymous
Lionel Messi has joined a very small club. The Argentina star is now a billionaire, with a net worth of $1.1 billion according to Forbes. That makes him one of the few active athletes ever to reach that milestone through playing and business deals combined.
Messi is also set to play in his third World Cup final, facing Spain at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. At 37 years old, he remains the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer. His on-field career and off-field empire have grown side by side for more than two decades.
Messi's $28.3 Million MLS Salary Is Just the Start
Messi's guaranteed salary at Inter Miami is $28.3 million in 2026, according to USA Today. That makes him the top earner in MLS by a wide margin. But his total earnings go far beyond that base figure.
He holds separate deals with Fanatics and Apple. The Fanatics deal ties him to league merchandise sales. The Apple deal links him to streaming subscriptions for MLS Season Pass. These arrangements mean Messi earns money every time fans buy a jersey or sign up to watch games, Yahoo Sports reported.
Two Decades of Deals Built a Billion-Dollar Brand
Messi turned professional around 2004. Over the next 20 years, he signed endorsement deals with some of the world's biggest brands. Adidas has been his longest partner. He also works with Pepsi, Budweiser, and Mastercard, among others.
His move to the United States in 2023 supercharged his commercial value. MLS reported a massive spike in jersey sales and new subscribers after he joined Inter Miami. His arrival turned a mid-table club into one of the most-watched teams in American sports, according to Yahoo Sports.
From Rosario to Billionaire: A Career Unlike Any Other
Messi grew up in Rosario, Argentina. He moved to Spain as a child after Barcelona agreed to pay for his growth hormone treatment. That bet paid off for both sides. He spent nearly two decades at Barcelona, winning four Champions Leagues and eight La Liga titles.
He then moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, followed by his landmark MLS move in 2023. Along the way he won eight Ballon d'Or awards — the most of any player in history. His 2022 World Cup win with Argentina is widely seen as the missing piece that cemented his legacy as the greatest player ever.
Argentina Coach Stayed Loyal Before World Cup Run
The man guiding Messi to this World Cup final almost took a different job. Former Lazio coach Edoardo Reja revealed that Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was offered the Lazio head coaching role in 2024. Scaloni turned it down, according to Yahoo Sports Canada.
Scaloni said he had a commitment to Argentina and would not back down from it. That loyalty kept the team's core leadership intact. Argentina now has a chance to win back-to-back World Cups under the same coach and captain.
Sentiment
NeutralNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
4
Articles
4
Reach
5
Topics
A
AnonymousAuthor