Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami adventure continues to show it’s proven to be a successful decision from the Argentinian – but his next move remains up in the air for now.

Having left behind his tumultuous Barcelona exit and – at times – challenging PSG stint, the iconic seven-time Ballon d’Or winner signed a contract with David Beckham’s MLS franchise in 2023 and hasn’t looked back since. He’s been joined by some familiar faces in Miami, including Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Javier Mascherano was recently unveiled as their new manager, and Messi continues to be the poster boy of the league. The veteran soccer player is reaping substantial rewards for his commercial influence, with an estimated £50million in on-field earnings and a contract set to expire in December 2025 – but the benefits of his deal don’t end there.

It’s believed that Messi owns a stake in his current club, and there are reports that he, like Beckham, could have the opportunity to start his own franchise at a cheaper rate. Here, we have examined this potential leap from the field to the boardroom, and explore whether Messi will extend his playing career or decide to retire his legacy soon.

Messi, the franchise owner

When the football icon signed his current contract in Miami, it’s said that he was given a share of ownership in the organization that could be activated once his playing days are over.

Messi might well delve into football ownership within MLS, similar to the kind of pact Beckham signed when he first joined the MLS with LA Galaxy in 2007. This agreement eventually led to Beckham kicking off his Inter Miami initiative at a relatively bargain cost.

When Messi decides to hang up his boots, he may either join forces with Beckham behind the scenes or head up a rival executive team. The million-dollar question remains: when will Messi bid farewell to the field?

One more year?

Should Inter Miami’s co-owner Jorge Mas see his dreams realized, Messi’s tenure on the pitch could stretch until at least 2026. That’s when the sparkling 26,000-seat Miami Freedom Park stadium is slated for its grand debut.

Speaking at the draw for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Mas said: “As I said before, I’m very confident that he’ll be opening our new stadium in ’26.

“I’ll be sitting with Leo, you know, now at some point in the offseason. And I’m optimistic that as long as Leo’s health holds up, that we’ll be seeing him in pink.”

This aligns with the hope in Argentina that Messi will play until the 2026 World Cup, which is aptly set to take place in the US, as well as Canada and Mexico. If it does turn out to be his swan song in international competition, he would undeniably be its main attraction.

Calling it quits?

If Messi chooses to pursue an MLS trophy, fans could be treated to his mesmerizing soccer skills for at least another 18 months and retirement doesn’t seem to be on the cards just yet for the 37-year-old legend.

Mas also discussed his conversations with Messi, before he signed Mascherano as manager for the MLS team. He said: “I had a specific conversation with him [Messi]. Leo gave me what I asked him, which was input. That was Leo’s involvement and engagement with me, which (happens) frankly all the time.”

Messi remains deeply involved with the club’s decisions and planning for the future, indicating his soccer journey is far from over. However, when speaking to ESPN earlier this year, Messi confirmed that Miami would be the final place he’d call home in the sport.

He said: “Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything much more because I am aware that there is less [left to play].”

Robert Lewandowski joins Lionel Messi in exclusive Barcelona club after scoring in 2-2 draw with Real Betis

Robert Lewandowski became only the second Barcelona player to score 16 goals in his first 16 league games on Saturday, matching Lionel Messi.

• Lewandowski scored against Betis
• Barca drew 2-2
• Messi feat matched by Poland star

WHAT HAPPENED?

‘I Scored Just 10 goals in 42 Liverpool Games – I’m Now Outscoring Lionel Messi in the MLS’

A striker’s goalscoring form comes in all shapes and sizes – and from one week to the next, with the majority of the sport’s goalscorers-in-chief, fans are not sure whether they are going to get a flurry of goals or mere struggles in the final third.

As is the difficult nature of being a striker at the top level, the perfect embodiment of that is former Liverpool target man Christian Benteke, who is now scoring goals as if they are going out of fashion for Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit DC United.

The imposing Belgian scored just 10 in the famous strip of the Merseysiders – one being an acrobatic moment of magic against fierce rivals Manchester United – and was shipped off to fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace after just one campaign.

Benteke’s Goalscoring Remontada in the MLS

Striker now outscoring Inter Miami ace Lionel Messi

But were Jurgen Klopp and his entourage right to part ways with the large-statured centre forward in the summer of 2016? His numbers in the MLS with DC United would, perhaps, suggest so.

Born in Kinshasa, the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Benteke began his career in Belgium for top flight outfit Standard Liege and was a key cog in their 2008/09 Belgian First Division triumph.

When Benteke packed up his bags and headed to sunny Washington DC in the summer of 2022, signed by then-manager Wayne Rooney, many assumed that he was heading into the twilight period of his career with not many years left.

Benteke had other ideas. Once an out-of-sorts presence at Anfield, the Belgian international, capped on 45 occasions, began firing on all cylinders and has chalked up – across his 74-game stint at his current employers – 40 goals and eight assists.

Although ex-Crystal Palace man’s side were unable to make it past the regular season because of their ponderous tenth-placed finish in the Eastern Conference, one thing cannot go understated: the marksman’s potency.

He scored 23 goals altogether – three more than Lionel Messi, one of the greatest footballers of all time, his Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez and Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga as he was issued the MLS Golden Boot in the most recent campaign.

The striker, one of Aston Villa’s top goalscorers in Premier League history, remains laser-focused. Having signed on at DC for another year, the veteran goal-getter is determined to continuing his success by remaining in the best shape possible when the next campaign gets underway in February 2025. He told BBC Sport:

“Messi and Ronaldo are four or five years older than me and they still play, so who are we not to push ourselves?

“It’s not luck. It’s hard work. They look after their bodies, which is something we can all do. We might not have their qualities or everything they have but as a high-elite athlete, we can all look after our bodies.”

Inside Benteke’s Tumultuous Stint at Liverpool

Belgian enjoyed more success in England for Aston Villa

It was initially Tim Sherwood’s Aston Villa who spotted his talismanic nature from afar, with them splashing the cash just after he spent one season with Belgian side Genk, whom he plundered 21 goals and 12 assists for in 51 outings.

A couple of hat-trick-inspired showings and a Premier League Player of the Month gong only added to the interest shown by his eventual employers, Liverpool, a club he would go on to play a mere 42 games for.

In 2015, the Reds forked out £32.5 million, just a few million shy of what they spent on Mohamed Salah, for Benteke’s prowess in front of goal, which made him the club’s second-most expensive buy at that time – a record that has since been smashed out of the park.

Then-boss Klopp, whose squad also boasted a deadly – yet injury-prone – Daniel Sturridge, turned to Roberto Firmino after deciding Benteke was not suited to his style. The likes of the aforementioned Salah and Sadio Mane followed and, well, the rest is history.

Interestingly, the one-time Belgian champion enjoyed a relatively sparkling start to life on Merseyside as he scored the winner on his home debut against Bournemouth, while he also netted twice inside his opening six games after establishing himself as the go-to man at the top of the tree under Brendan Rodgers.

An injury then struck and that, combined with Klopp’s arrival in the Anfield dugout, saw him become more of a squad option than first choice forward. Despite proving to be a certified starter under the aforementioned Rodgers, starting all six of those opening games under the Northern Irishman, only three times did he manage back-to-back starts under Klopp. Now 34 years of age and enjoying life in the United States, he’s enjoying a remontada for the ages.

Lionel Messi: A Soccer Legend with an $850 Million Net Worth.

What Is Lionel Messi’s Net Worth?

Lionel Messi, born in Argentina, is a professional athlete with a staggering net worth of $850 million. Widely considered the best soccer player in the world and one of the greatest of all time, he’s definitely among the highest-paid athletes ever. Messi spent his formative years at Barcelona, where he played from his teens until 2021, racking up an impressive 672 goals in 778 matches. On August 10, 2021, it was announced that he would be leaving Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain. He also represents the Argentina National Team, and on December 18, 2022, he helped lead them to victory in the World Cup.

Messi is probably the top earner in soccer and ranks high among all athletes globally. His groundbreaking contract with Barcelona in 2017 gave him an average annual salary of $168 million. On top of that, he pulls in about $70 million a year from endorsements, bringing his total earnings to around $200 million annually. On June 7, 2023, Messi revealed he was joining David Beckham’s MLS team, Inter Miami, in a unique deal that includes a share of revenue from Apple’s MLS coverage and an ownership stake in the team. To sum it up, his base salary at Inter Miami is $60 million, and he’ll own 10% of the team by the end of his contract, which could be worth over $200 million if the team’s value holds up after he retires.

 

Despite some misleading reports, Lionel Messi is NOT a billionaire. By the end of his time at Barcelona, he had earned over $1.6 billion when you factor in endorsements. Our estimates show he’s made around $1.2 billion in salary and $400 million from endorsements. Some sources misinterpreted his total earnings exceeding $1 billion and mistakenly labeled him a “billionaire.”

Interesting Facts

Barcelona’s deal brought him in $160 million each year.

He rakes in an extra $40-60 million annually from endorsements.

He’s the top-earning athlete in the world, with his total yearly income usually exceeding $200 million.

Throughout his career, he’s made over $1.6 billion from everything combined.

About $900 million comes from his salary and around $400 million from endorsements.

Salary and Contracts

During his prime at Barcelona, Lionel Messi was the highest-paid soccer player globally. In 2017, he inked a deal with the club that had a staggering base salary of $168 million. For years, the specifics of his contract were kept under wraps, but in January 2021, the Spanish paper “El Mundo” leaked the details. Before that, he was making an annual base salary of $44.68 million under a different contract.

In August 2021, Messi made the move to Paris Saint-Germain, signing a two-year contract worth about $75 million a year before taxes, which comes to around $40 million after taxes. His deal also included potential bonuses for hitting certain milestones and a share of jersey sales.

On top of that, Messi rakes in an extra $70 million annually from endorsements, including a lifetime deal with Adidas.

$1 Billion Saudi Contract

In May 2023, news broke that Lionel Messi was close to inking a massive $1 billion deal with a mystery team from the Saudi Pro League. This contract was said to offer him a whopping $400 million a year. If that was the case, it would have almost doubled the 2.5-year, $535 million contract Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Al Nassr in December 2022. However, Lionel turned down this lucrative offer and chose to join David Beckham’s MLS squad, Inter Miami, instead.

Inter Miami

On June 7, 2023, news broke that Messi was looking to join Inter Miami, the MLS team co-owned by David Beckham. The deal was said to offer him a weekly salary of $1.03 million, totaling around $54 million a year for four years. In a cool twist, Messi’s contract with Miami also includes a share of the revenue from Apple’s MLS Season Pass subscriptions. It was later disclosed that Messi’s actual salary is $60 million a year, plus he got a 10% ownership stake in the team, which is valued at up to $2 billion.

Adidas Endorsement

Messi, one of the most famous athletes on the planet, has been repping Adidas since 2006 as their top brand ambassador. He initially signed with Nike when he was just 14 but later made the switch to Adidas. By 2008, he launched a popular line of Adidas boots and even got his own sub-brand called Adidas Messi.

Visit Saudi Endorsement Deal

In June 2023, a contract was leaked revealing that Lionel Messi signed a three-year deal back in January 2021, which could earn him $25 million for promoting tourism in Saudi Arabia. Here’s what the contract entails:

#1) He’s required to take an annual trip to Saudi Arabia, bringing along up to 20 friends. All costs are covered, including travel and luxury accommodations, and the trip must be at least five days long.

#2) He needs to post ten times a year on social media to promote Saudi Arabia, using specific hashtags approved by the government.

#3) He has to take part in an annual tourism advertising campaign, which last year involved appearing in a promotional video for Visit Saudi.

For each of the obligations in #2 and #3, he earns $2 million annually. Additionally, he can make another $2 million a year for engaging in “charitable work.”

When you add it all up, Lionel stands to make $25 million over three years for relatively light commitments. However, there’s a catch: the contract states that he “cannot say anything that might ‘tarnish’ Saudi Arabia.”

Early Life

Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. His dad, Jorge Horacio Messi, worked in a steel factory, while his mom, Celia Maria Cuccittini, did some cleaning jobs on the side. He grew up close to his two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matias, and his sister, Maria Sol.

The family often kicked a soccer ball around together, along with their cousins, Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi, who also became professional footballers. Messi started playing for the Rosario soccer club at just six years old, joining Newell’s Old Boys.

At the age of ten, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, and his dad couldn’t afford the treatment anymore. Newell’s initially promised to help but later backed out. Then, Carles Rexach, the Sporting Director of FC Barcelona, stepped in and offered to cover the medical costs if Messi moved to Spain. With his dad’s okay, Rexach quickly wrote up a contract on a napkin, and the family relocated to Barcelona in February 2001.

They settled into an apartment close to Camp Nou, the club’s stadium. Messi felt homesick after his mom and siblings went back to Rosario while he stayed in Barcelona with his dad. A year later, he joined the Royal Spanish Football Federation and became part of the “Baby Dream Team,” which was Barcelona’s top group of young soccer talent.

Career

At just 17, Lionel stepped onto the field for his first league match against RCD Espanyol, making him the third-youngest player to ever represent FC Barcelona. He also set the record as the youngest player to score for the club. In the 2005-2006 season, Messi started earning a first-team salary and gained his Spanish citizenship, marking his debut in the Spanish First Division.

Fans gave him a warm standing ovation during his first game, where he scored alongside the legendary Ronaldinho. Out of his seventeen appearances in the league, he netted six goals, and he scored once in six Champions League matches. By 2006, Messi had made history as the youngest Argentine to both play and score in the FIFA World Cup.

After the World Cup in the 2006-2007 season, Messi faced a setback with a broken metatarsal that kept him off the field for three months. He made his comeback as a substitute in a match against Racing Santander. By March, he was back in form, scoring a hat trick against Real Madrid, becoming the first player since Ivan Zamorano to achieve that in an El Clasico. During the 2007-2008 season, Messi helped Barcelona climb into the top four of La Liga.

He earned a nomination for the FIFA Pro World XI Player Award as a forward, and Marca named him the best player in the world. Other publications echoed this sentiment, suggesting he should win the Ballon d’Or. He finally snagged his first Ballon d’Or in 2009 at just 22 years old and went on to win three more consecutively. He also brought home an Olympic Gold Medal from the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2012, he broke records in La Liga and Europe for the most goals in a single season, solidifying his status as Barcelona’s all-time top scorer.

In the following two seasons, as Barcelona’s captain, he finished second for the Ballon d’Or behind his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2014, he guided Argentina to the World Cup finals, earning the Golden Ball for his performance. Although he announced his retirement in 2016, he changed his mind and led Argentina to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, finishing third in the 2019 Copa America. In 2019, Messi made history by winning his sixth Ballon d’Or.

2022 World Cup

On December 18, Lionel and his Argentina squad took down France in the 2022 World Cup final. Excluding penalty kicks, Lionel scored twice during the match, which went into extra time and then a shootout.

Charity

Messi kicked off the Leo Messi Foundation to create better chances for underprivileged kids in education and healthcare. He launched the charity back in 2007 after a visit to a children’s hospital in Boston, which really impacted him. With support from Herbalife, his foundation covers medical treatments, transportation, and recovery for kids facing serious health issues. Plus, since March 2010, he’s been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, even going on a mission to Haiti to raise awareness about the struggles kids faced after the earthquake.

On top of that, Messi gets involved in individual fundraising events like global football matches and supports various charities. He also backs several youth football clubs in Argentina, including Sarmiento, Rosario Central, Newell’s, River Plate, and Boca Juniors. At Newell’s, his childhood club, he helped fund a new gym and dorm at the stadium in 2012. His old coach from there now works with the Messi Foundation as a talent scout for young players.

In March 2020, Messi stepped up and donated $1 million to help combat the coronavirus outbreak. Plus, he and his Barcelona teammates agreed to a 70 percent pay cut during the COVID-19 crisis to ensure that no workers at the club would see their salaries reduced during such a tough time.

Personal Life

Lionel has been with Antonela Roccuzzo, who hails from the same city of Rosario, since 2008. They’ve been friends since they were just five years old and went public with their relationship in January 2009. The couple tied the knot in Rosario in June 2007. They have three kids together:

Thiago (born in 2012), Mateo (born in 2015), and Ciro (born in 2018). Lionel remains super close to his family, especially his mom, whose face he has tattooed on his left shoulder. Most of his professional dealings are managed like a family business, with his dad acting as his agent since he was 14, and his older brother Rodrigo taking care of his publicity.

Real Estate

In 2009, Messi dropped $2 million on a house in the Pedrables area of Barcelona. He later invested millions more into renovations and upgrades. Now, that place is valued between $7 and $10 million.

Fast forward to November 2019, and Lionel snagged a condo in Miami for $5 million. Then in April 2021, he went all out and bought the entire ninth floor of another building in Miami for $7.3 million.

Lionel Messi stands as a global icon, celebrated not only for his extraordinary talent but also for his humility and dedication. With over $1.2 billion in career earnings and a net worth of $850 million, Messi’s achievements extend beyond soccer. His six Ballon d’Or awards, 2022 World Cup victory, and unmatched record at Barcelona affirm his legacy as one of the greatest athletes ever.

Beyond the field, Messi is a devoted philanthropist, family man, and inspiration to millions. Whether through his Leo Messi Foundation or his leadership in sports, Messi continues to leave an indelible mark on the world.