Soccer Star Lionel Messi Plans to Join Inter Miami. How Will It Affect His Net Worth?
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Soccer superstar Lionel Messi—the most prized free agent in sports—is coming to the United States.
BBC Radio contributor Guillem Balague first reported Wednesday the 35-year-old Messi, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, has decided to sign with Inter Miami of Major League Soccer for next season. Messi confirmed the news to two Spanish media outlets, according to ESPN.
Although Inter Miami hasn’t made an official announcement, the MLS released a statement Wednesday saying, “Although work remains to finalize a formal agreement, we look forward to welcoming one of the greatest soccer players of all time to our League.”
Messi’s contract with current French Ligue 1 team Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of this month, sparking rampant speculation about where the star scorer, who led Argentina to the World Cup title in December, would continue his career. A move to the MLS would mark one of the biggest boosts in star power in league history, comparable to David Beckham’s decision to leave Real Madrid for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007.
Messi is already a global superstar—with 469 million Instagram followers—and one of the richest athletes in the world, so how would a move to America affect him financially? Let’s take a look at the numbers.
What Is Lionel Messi’s Net Worth?
Messi is second on Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, released in early May. Messi earned $130 million in on- and off-field revenue over the past year, behind only fellow soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo ($136 million).
Additionally, Forbes reported in June 2022 that Messi had earned $1.15 billion over the course of his career—fourth all-time among athletes from all sports. He’s only behind golfer Tiger Woods, Ronaldo, and NBA superstar LeBron James.
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Messi’s overall net worth to be roughly $600 million.
How Would an MLS Move Affect Messi?
At least in terms of on-field earnings, Messi’s cash flow would likely increase in the MLS. SPORT reported last week that Inter Miami offered Messi a four-year contract averaging $54 million—larger than the reported $41 million value of his last extension with Paris Saint-Germain. However, the PSG deal also included a $30 million signing bonus and money from player image rights.
Financial terms of any potential contract between Messi and Miami were unknown as of Wednesday afternoon, but The Athletic reported that MLS television partner Apple and clothing sponsor Adidas each offered him profit-sharing agreements to entice him to join the club.
Messi earns additional millions through a number of high-profile endorsements. In 2022, he signed a deal with fan engagement app Socios expected to net him $20 million annually. Messi is also partnered with PepsiCo, Gatorade, Hard Rock Cafe, and Mastercard. He already netted a lifetime deal with Adidas worth $25 million annually, according to Insider.
Messi also has his own clothing brand and opened a retail store in Barcelona, Spain, in 2019.
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