What is Lionel Messi’s net worth as Inter Miami move is confirmed?

After weeks of build-up, Lionel Messi’s stunning £46million-a-year move to MLS side Inter Miami has officially been confirmed. 

Messi has achieved a lot in his glittering career so far and has amassed millions since his professional debut in 2004.

The Argentinian’s biggest achievement came back in November 2022, where he guided his beloved nation to their first World Cup triumph since 1986.

During his career so far, Messi has won seven Ballon d’Or titles, four Champions League trophies with Barcelona and much more.

But what is his net worth? And how much has he earned throughout his career so far? Mail Sport provides all the answers down below. 

What is his net worth?

As of June 2022, Forbes have reported that Messi has a net worth of £105million ($130m).

Forbes also ranked the World Cup winner as the highest paid athlete last year. Reportedly, the forward earned £60m ($75m) on the pitch as well as £44m ($55m) off the pitch.  

Off the pitch, Messi has a huge following on social media. He has over 445m followers on Instagram, making him the third most-followed account on the platform.

Messi has a real eye for the property industry and has invested in properties in Barcelona, Miami, Paris and hometown Rosario.

His mansion in Barcelona was just 12 miles away from Camp Nou and was valued at £5.5m.

It had an indoor gym, swimming pool, football pitch and a playground for his three children.

According to Spanish outlet Cadena Ser, the World Cup winner bought a Miami apartment in the Porsche Design Tower all the way back in 2019.

The 60-floor tower offers residents stunning views of the surrounding area, including Miami Beach, which is located just seconds away from the tower. 

The apartment also has its own private restaurant, an outdoor lounge that faces the sea. 

What are his career earnings?

After making his professional debut for Barcelona in 2004, the Spanish side soon realised that they had a star on their hands. A year later, the club were able to tie him down to a new deal until 2010 – inserting a €150m release clause. 

After spending over two decades with the Spanish club, it has been reported that the forward landed a combined total salary in the region of 654m ($875m).

After failing to agree a new deal with Barcelona, Messi put pen to paper on a two-year deal at the Parc des Princes worth £35m a season.

Messi’s existing deal ran out this summer, but had the option to stay for another year. Despite the French side winning the league title this season, the Argentine has opted not to part ways with the Ligue 1 giants. 

Instead, he will join MLS outfit, Inter Miami on a four-year-deal. It came after Messi rejected a gigantic £2bn move to Saudi Arabia and a transfer back to his former club Barcelona.

According to CBS Sports, Al-Hilal reportedly ‘had private jets waiting in Paris for Messi and in Barcelona for his father Jorge’ ready to take the pair to Riyadh. 

Barcelona were convinced they could afford their former player’s $27m gross salary, but because they are in excess of their La Liga-imposed maximum squad spend, the club are subject to the Spanish League’s ’40 per cent rule’ meaning they would have to shed $107m from their wage bill to add $43m to it for another player.

Messi will now head to the MLS, where It has been reported that Inter Miami offered the Argentinian £43m ($54m) per season for four years.

Fans are already looking forward to watching the World Cup winner in action and was greeted by an overenthusiastic fan while out for dinner at a Miami restaurant on Wednesday night. 

According to Forbes, the Argentina international has earned £929.9m ($1.15 billion) on and off the pitch throughout his career. 

Sponsorship deals and business

With Messi being one of the most famous athletes of all time, the forward is going to have his fair share of endorsement deals.

The brands that Messi endorses include Budweiser, Gatorade, Konami, PUBG MOBILE, Pepsi and Mastercard.

Messi also has a highly lucrative deal with Adidas. After signing his first contract with the company in 2006, he has since been the face of the brand. In 2017, he signed a lifetime contract. That contract would see him make around £20m (£25m) a year, as per Business Insider. 

Back in November, Messi became the global brand ambassador of Indian edtech company Byju’s. 

The World Cup winner has also made a name for himself in the business industry.  He is the owner of the Messi Store – which is a clothing line he launched in 2019.

Messi is also a big fan of the hotel industry. The forward became the owner of the hotel chain, MiM Hotels, in 2017.

When Messi does decide to call it a career, the Argentine may look to continue his business adventure in the hotel industry.

Messi’s move to Inter Miami is said to involve contributions from two of MLS’s biggest commercial partners: Apple TV, their current broadcast rightsholder, and Adidas, MLS’s apparel sponsor.

MLS and Apple reportedly have discussed offering Messi a share of the revenue generated by new subscribers attracted to the platform’s streaming package, MLS Season Pass, by the star’s arrival in the States.

Apple is also working on a four-part docuseries that recounts Messi’s four World Cup appearances.

The report also added that Adidas is offering Messi a profit-sharing agreement with the sportswear giant, which would involve the player receiving a cut of any increase in Adidas’ profits resulting from his involvement in MLS.

Messi and Adidas have a long-standing partnership – with the Argentine signing with the German sportswear brand back in 2006. He eventually inked a lifetime footwear deal with them in 2017.