Lionel Messi joins billionaires: his fortune, why he's not among richest | OneFootball

Lionel Messi’s first great achievement in football was not tied to money, but to health. That contract signed on a napkin with Barcelona included the costly hormone treatment he needed to continue growing. Over time, the Rosario native turned his talent into a gigantic fortune: salaries, prizes, advertising deals, investments, and personal businesses pushed his net worth past US$1 billion, according to a report by Bloomberg, the renowned agency specializing in economics and finance.

The report’s breakdown indicates that Messi amassed more than US$700 million in salaries and bonuses since 2007. “Taking into account taxes, market performance, and income from investments and sponsorships, his net worth has surpassed US$1 billion,” Bloomberg’s billionaires index states.

In this way, the Argentine captain matches Cristiano Ronaldo, who reached that threshold after signing with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr in 2023. However, neither of them is among the 500 richest people on the planet. That ranking includes only one Argentine: Marcos Galperin, founder of Mercado Libre, whose fortune is approximately eight times greater than Messi’s and places him around 450th.

The Rosario native’s business expansion accelerated in recent years under the supervision of his father, Jorge Messi. Bloomberg highlights that his salary at Inter Miami, deals tied to TV rights, real estate investments, and even his stake in an Argentine restaurant chain are among the sources that explain his 10-figure fortune.

According to the report, Messi could have crossed the US$1 billion mark earlier if he had accepted Saudi Arabia’s offer after the 2022 Qatar World Cup. According to Bloomberg, the Argentine turned down a contract worth US$400 million per year to move to the Saudi league.

“Historically, athletes who have built fortunes above US$1 billion have done so largely thanks to their investments,” the report explains. It mentions, for example, the case of Roger Federer, whose equity stake in the Swiss company On ended up being far more profitable than the prize money he earned as a tennis player.

Michael Jordan also appears as an example. Although he was one of the NBA’s highest-paid players in his time, he earned less than US$100 million in salaries. Most of his wealth later came from commercial deals and his stake in the Charlotte Hornets.

Bloomberg also notes that the economic growth of modern football makes it easier for top stars to become billionaires. In Messi’s case, his contract with Inter Miami included innovative mechanisms, such as an option to acquire shares in the club, whose value rose by more than 20 percent over the last year, according to consultancy firm Sportico.

Messi’s arrival in MLS also opened up new sources of income. According to Bloomberg, the agreement among Inter Miami, Apple, and the U.S. league included a structure under which the footballer would receive a percentage of new subscriptions to Apple TV+’s MLS Season Pass service.

Jorge Mas, owner of Inter Miami, said that subscriptions to the service doubled after the Argentine’s arrival. He also estimated that Messi’s annual earnings from the club are around US$70 million to US$80 million, including equity stakes and other compensation mechanisms.

To that must be added his businesses in Spain. Under the guidance of banker Alfonso Nebot Armisen, the private firm that manages the family’s investments has steadily expanded its operations.

In December 2024, a real estate REIT valued at US$232 million began trading on the stock market. The company, called Edificio Rostower Socimi, owns seven hotels and other assets linked to the real estate sector.

Messi has also moved into the mass consumer market. During 2024, he launched the sports drink Más+ by Messi, developed together with Mark Anthony International, the company behind Mike’s Hard Lemonade.

In addition, the Argentine captain joined restaurant chain El Club de la Milanesa as an investor, as it seeks international expansion.

At the same time, he began building a structure tied to football clubs with an eye on life after retirement. In recent months he acquired UE Cornellà, a team in Spain’s fifth division. He is also involved with Deportivo LSM alongside Luis Suárez, and the Messi family manages Leones, a club that competes in Argentina’s semi-professional football scene.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.