Lionel Andrés Messi, the skipper of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 champions Argentina, iconic player for FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, who will now move to the Major League Soccer (MLS) club, Inter Miami has turned 36 today i.e. June 24.
Messi, who is recognised as one of the all-time best players, has a record seven Ballon d’Or awards, and a record six European Golden Shoes, and he was selected for the Ballon d’Or Dream Team in 2020. He spent most of his professional career with FC Barcelona, departing from the team in 2021 after winning a club-record 34 trophies there, including 10 LaLiga championships, seven Copa del Rey championships, and four UEFA Champions League crowns as well.
The ‘La Pulga’ also aided his nation to win Copa America in 2021 and the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Messi is a prodigious goalscorer and dynamic playmaker who has scored 474 goals, the most, in LaLiga (474) and 36 hat-tricks, again the most in the Spanish league. He additionally has netted 103 goals internationally which is the most by a South American individual and third-most overall behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Ali Daei. Messi also has nearly 800 professional career goals for both clubs and his nation, and the most goals for one team.
With the stature of being one of the best football players to ever kick the ball and a global star, Messi throughout his career endorsed several prominent brands and has fared well on the commercial pitch, too. Let’s take a look at Messi’s net worth, endorsements, investments, and charitable contributions.
Net Worth:
According to Forbes, Messi’s net worth is estimated to be $1.15 billion. His sources of income can be attributed to endorsement deals, football contracts, and investments.
The Argentine will receive €50 million from the MLS team each season in addition to sponsorship deals and ownership stakes in the team.
He has made some significant financial commitments to his way of life. One of his most expensive acquisitions was a Ferrari F430 Spider. In addition, the legend of the game also appears to have a taste for expensive cars as he is the owner of an Audi R8 Spyder and a Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale.
The 36-year-old football player also has a sizable, multimillion-dollar real estate portfolio that includes homes in Spain, Argentina, and the United States. Messi has lived in a $7 million property outside of Barcelona for the previous ten years as his primary residence.
The football star also paid roughly $4 million to build a sizable estate in Rosario, Argentina, in 2022, and $11 million to purchase a property in Ibiza.
Endorsements:
In addition to his on-field success, Messi has lucrative off-field endorsement deals with companies like PepsiCo, Budweiser, and Adidas, with whom he has a lifetime affiliation.
Furthermore, according to reports, Messi’s new contract with Inter Miami will also feature a profit-sharing arrangement with Adidas, under which he will receive a portion of any growth in Adidas’ earnings related to his participation in the MLS.
Along with these brands, the professional football player has endorsement deals with Ooredoo, Lay’s, Jacob & Co., Hard Rock International, SIRIN LABS, SikSilk, LEAFTY, Socios.com, Mengniu, Orcam, Saudi Tourism Authority, Mastercard, Bitget, BYJU’S, Sorare and J&T Express.
Investments:
The football player started his own worldwide lifestyle clothing line in 2016 called ‘The Messi Store’.
Additionally, Messi has been running MIM Hotels since 2017. Majestic Hotel Group, which is led by his brother, runs the hotel chain. Property locations for the expanding hotel chain include Mallorca, Ibiza, Sitges, and Baqueira.
Furthermore, Messi has invested in a variety of real estate during the past ten years. These are believed to produce annual profits of millions of dollars.
Charity:
The Leo Messi Foundation, which collaborates with UNICEF to aid children all over the world, especially those dealing with health challenges similar to those Messi experienced, is Messi’s most honourable investment. He recently helped UNICEF create schools for 1600 war orphans in Syria as an “Ambassador” for the organisation.
In order to raise money for various charities, Lionel also takes part in personal fundraising activities like international football matches. Several youth football teams in Argentina, notably Sarmiento, Rosario Central, Newell’s, River Plate, and Boca Junior, are financially supported by Messi.