Lionel Messi Net Worth 2024: How the Footballing GOAT Made$900 Million

Lionel Messi is an iconic professional footballer and the captain of the Argentina national team. Yet, he is more than just a star in his home country. Today, Messi is regarded as one of the best players worldwide, and for several years, he has been the highest-paid athlete in the world.

As of 2024, Lionel Messi’s net worth is estimated at over $900 million.

Arguably one of the most widely known people globally, Lionel Messi has won six European Golden Boots and seven Ballon d’Or awards, among other accolades. Until a few years back, his professional career was mostly bound up with Barcelona, but he has made several major – and some unexpected – changes in recent years.

In this article, we’ll talk about the story of how Leo Messi made his titanic net worth by playing football, endorsing businesses, as well as making his own smart investments.

6 Fun Facts About Lionel Messi

1. Early Diagnosis: Diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at age 10.
2. First Contract: His first contract with Barcelona was signed on a napkin.
3. Record Holder: Holds the record for the most goals in a calendar year.
4. Olympic Gold: Won an Olympic gold medal with Argentina in 2008.
5. Philanthropist: Founded the Leo Messi Foundation to support vulnerable children.
6. Hotel Chain: Owns MiM Hotels, a luxury hotel chain.

Lionel Messi’s Net Worth: Full Breakdown

For many years, the world had no idea what Lionel Messi earned during his time with FC Barcelona and PSG.

However, some of his contracts were recently leaked, which allowed us a peek into his net worth. While these add up to over $1.5 billion, his net worth is estimated at over $900 million post-taxation, considering also his assets such as real estate and his hotel chain.

Here is a breakdown of his earnings.

Lionel Messi: The GOAT Is Born

Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina to father Jorge Horacio Messi and mother Celia Maria Cuccittini, who both had difficult factory jobs. He is one of four siblings who enjoyed football even in their childhood, often joined by their cousins Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi, both of whom are also now professional footballers.

When he was only four years old, Messi joined Grandoli, the local football club coached by his father. His maternal grandmother Celia took him to matches and training, helping him build the foundation for a sport he’d go on to excel at.

At the age of six, Lionel Messi joined Rosario soccer club and for six years, he played for Newell’s Old Boys. However, at the age of ten, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency and since his family wasn’t rich, they couldn’t afford his medical treatment. Newell stepped in and decided to contribute, but they reneged on their promise soon after.

Eventually, it was Carles Rexach, the Sporting Director of FC Barcelona, who would pay the child’s medical bills on the condition that he moved to Spain.

Messi’s father approved the idea, so Rexach drew up a contract on a paper napkin that both sides signed and soon after, the family moved to Barcelona in February 2001. They all initially lived near the Camp Nou stadium, but his mother and Messi’s siblings returned to Rosario quickly after, while he stayed with his father.

For a whole year, Messi couldn’t play with the Infantiles (the youth team) because of a transfer conflict with Newell’s. As a foreigner, he couldn’t be fielded unless it was in friendlies. So, he struggled to integrate into the team.

A year after the move, Messi enrolled in the Royal Spanish Football Federation and became a part of Barcelona’s collection of young soccer players called the Baby Dream Team. This is where he met – and befriended – Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas.

When he was 14 years old, Leo Messi finally completed his growth hormone treatment and became the top scorer in the first full season for the Cadetes A. This marked the beginning of a very successful football career.

Lionel Messi Net Worth: Scoring Big On the Field

In the last couple of years, Lionel Messi has frequently topped lists of the highest-paid athletes in the world.

The millions he has earned combine not only his football earnings, but also his earnings from endorsement deals, businesses, and investments.

However, Messi didn’t always earn millions of dollars every year. He started small, but from a very early age. Below we tell you how Lionel Messi became the highest-paid player in the world.

Early Beginnings

At the age of 17, Messi had his league debut against RCD Espanyol in the Copa Catalunya final, where he became the third-youngest athlete to play for FC Barcelona – as well as to score for the team.

At the close of that same season, EPL team Arsenal reached out to the young athlete with an offer, but while Pique left for England, Messi decided to stay at Barcelona.

In the 2005/6 season, Lionel Messi was paid as a first-team member and obtained Spanish citizenship. This was also the year when he made his debut in the Spanish top-flight league, La Liga.

During his first match, he received a standing ovation, already marking his name as one of the best prospective football players worldwide.

Messi’s Career at FC Barcelona

The successes kept piling up. In 2006, Lionel Messi was the youngest Argentinian player to score in the FIFA World Cup. While he was injured and had a broken metatarsal during the league season, he was back in the game after three months and in March, he scored a hat trick against Real Madrid, becoming the first player to do the El Clasico since Ivan Zamorano.

Over the three years after his debut, Messi established himself as an integral player for FC Barcelona.

In the 2007/8 season, he led his team into the top four of La Liga and won the nomination for a FIFA ProWorld XI Player Award. In the 2008/9 season, he helped his team achieve the first treble in Spanish football and won his first Ballon d’Or, one of the most prestigious awards in football.

Just to top this unbelievable season off he also won an Olympic Gold Medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Messi’s ludicrous year seemed like it could be a one off until he continued to dominate the competition.

In three consecutive seasons, Messi continued to win Ballons d’Or and was the first player to get the award four times.

The 2011/12 season was a tremendous success for Messi, too. He set the European and La Liga records for most goals scored in a single season, not to mention became Barcelona’s all-time top scorer!

In the following two seasons, Messi fell behind his rival Cristiano Ronaldo and finished second for the Ballon d’Or, before he regained his first spot during the 2014/15 season when he became the all-time top scorer in La Liga and won the Golden Ball. This is when he won his fifth Ballon d’Or.

In 2016, Messi announced that he planned to retire, but eventually decided to reverse this decision. Argentina benefited greatly from his change of mind, seeing how he led them to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and helped them finish third in the 2019 Copa America.

Fast forward to 2018, and Messi became the captain of FC Barcelona, followed by winning his sixth Ballon d’Or in the following year.

Earnings at FC Barcelona

When he played his best years with Barcelona, Lionel Messi was the highest-paid football player in the world.

In 2017, for instance, his Barcelona contract was for a base salary of $555 million over four seasons. Even though this information wasn’t publicly disclosed at the time, in January 2021, El Mundo, a Spanish newspaper, leaked the contract details.

Messi’s contract with the club before 2017 was significantly lower – $44.68 million per season.

Even though the player left Camp Nou in 2021, Barcelona’s president Joan Laporta confirmed that Messi is still being paid by the club until they cover their “outstanding debts”. Laporta said:

Do we owe any money to Messi? The only thing we owe are the salary deferrals that were agreed with the previous board of the club. This is producing pending payments that will come to an end in 2025. We are paying everything religiously.

Lionel Messi’s Move to Paris Saint Germain

On August 10, 2021, Messi announced that he was leaving Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain, while still appearing for the Argentina national squad. In 2022, Lionel Messi helped his national team to win the FIFA World Cup.

The reason why he left Barcelona is because they could not afford to re-sign him. On August 5, 2020, the team announced that they didn’t have the funds to re-sign Messi, and while he was reportedly willing to accept a 50% cut to remain with the club, the league rules didn’t allow for this to happen. Even if the club accepted his offer for a 50% pay cut, the salaries would still equate to 110% of the club’s revenue, and the league’s financial fair-play requirements are 70%.

Lionel Messi spent two seasons with PSG and won Ligue 1 twice.

At Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi was reportedly earning $75 million per year. The contract was for a two-year arrangement and, post-taxation, he would receive approximately $40 million per year, additional bonuses excluded.

Lionel Messi at Inter Miami

In June 2023, Lionel Messi announced that he would unite with former PSG teammate David Beckham and become part of Inter Miami, his MLS team.

The football star reportedly rejected an incredible offer from Al-Hilal, a Saudi Arabian club worth over $1 billion, and instead decided to sign for Inter Miami. This deal would pay him an annual salary nearly double the deal his rival Cristiano Ronaldo accepted in 2022 from Al Nassr, another Saudi League club.

“Al-Hilal made one last offensive for Messi at the last minute,” the COPE journalist Helena Condis shared on social media. “From Saudi Arabia they would have offered him €1.5 billion for 3 years. 500M per season.”

Earnings from Inter Miami

The contract is rather unique – it includes a revenue share of subscriptions sold by Apple’s coverage of the season. Not only that, but Inter Miami is reportedly paying Messi a base salary of $12 million and a listed guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667, as well as giving him an equity stake in Inter Miami worth over $50 million.

This doesn’t include the reported shares stemming from subscriptions and jersey sales.

Endorsement Deals

Messi earns approximately $30 to $40 million per year from endorsing brands. For starters, he has a lifetime deal with Adidas. The deal was signed in 2006 and even today, Lionel Messi is the company’s leading brand endorser.

Interestingly, Messi was initially signed with Nike when he was 14 years old but switched to Adidas in 2006. With Adidas, he created a signature collection of boots called Adidas Messi. This endorsement deal alone earns him approximately $19 million a year and will amount to $1 billion when it’s concluded.

In addition to his Adidas deal, Messi has endorsed many brands over the years including:

• Pepsi
• Tata Motors
• Sorare
• MasterCard
• Louis Vuitton
• Gillette
• Jacob and Co.
• Budweiser

Messi signed a contract in January 2021 to promote tourism in Saudi Arabia worth $25 million for three years. This information was also leaked in 2023 and according to the contract leak, Messi was required to take an annual vacation to Saudi Arabia of at least five days, make 10 social media posts to promote the country, and participate in an annual tourism ad campaign.

Social Media Earnings

Messi is every marketer’s dream and he is earning a fortune from sponsored content on his social channels.

According to one study, the World Cup winner earns $4.9 million for every sponsored post on Instagram. Seeing how he is continuously promoting brands, this is piling more millions onto Lionel Messi’s net worth.

Movie Appearances

Seeing how Messi is a popular soccer player and a global phenomenon, his life has inspired several Hollywood projects. In 2020, he played himself in the movie Lionel Messi: The Greatest. This sports documentary features his career and shows people why he is considered “the greatest player of all time”.

Back in 2014, Messi played himself in another sports biography titled Messi. This documentary was focused on his early life and his rise to stardom.

Philanthropy

Lionel Messi is well-known for putting his tremendous net worth to good use. He founded his charitable organization when he married Antonela Roccuzzo, and asked people to donate instead of bringing wedding gifts. The Leo Messi Foundation now backs major initiatives related to vulnerable children and healthcare.

In 2010, Messi was appointed an ambassador for UNICEF after having worked with the organization for six years. He has traveled to Haiti on a field mission for UNICEF to bring more public awareness to the plight of the children following the earthquake.

In 2020, he made donations to Spanish and Argentinian hospitals to aid patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. His foundation, helped by Herbalife, pays for transportation, medical treatment, and recuperation for children with medical problems.

Finally, Lionel Messi does fundraising for various charities. He has supported youth football clubs in Argentina including Rosario Central, Sarmiento, and Boca Junior. At his childhood club Newell’s, he constructed a new dorm and gym in 2012.

Lionel Messi’s Investments and Assets

Lionel Messi has dabbled in the business world, though not extensively. Most of his earnings come from endorsement deals and his football career.

He also has plenty of assets in real estate, a rich car collection, investments in hotels, and even a private jet.

Businesses

Messi has a line of clothing called Messi, which is sold in his retail store The Messi Store, located in Barcelona.

He has also dipped into cryptocurrency and NFTs and partnered with Ethernity at one point, though we don’t know how much exactly he has invested in this.

Real Estate

Back in 2009, Messi spent $2 million to buy a property in Pedrables, Barcelona, but spent several more millions to renovate and upgrade it post-purchase. He reportedly still owns the property, which is valued at around $7 million today.

In 2019, Messi bought a Miami condo for $5 million and in 2021, he bought the ninth floor of a Miami building for $7.3 million.

When he signed his contract with Inter Miami in 2023, Messi moved with his family into a waterfront mansion in Fort Lauderdale that he purchased for $10.75 million.

Hotels

In 2017, Messi made a major purchase when he bought a hotel chain called MiM Hotels, operated by the Majestic Hotel Group. The chain has resorts in Ibiza and Majorca, among other locations. In 2021, the chain opened its first winter resort in the Pyrenees. In 2022, it bought its sixth hotel in San Roque, with a total of 45 rooms.

We don’t know how much this acquisition cost the footballer or how much it adds to his net worth today.

Car Collection

Messi has quite an impressive car collection, which includes:

• Pagani Zonda Tricolore worth $2-3 million
• Ferrari F430 Spyder worth $200,000
• Dodge Charger SRT8 worth $70,000
• Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale worth $200,000

Private Jet

Finally, Messi is frequently seen flying in his 2004 Gulfstream V private jet, which can accommodate up to 16 people. The jet is worth around $15 million.

Messi's new private jet – a kitchen, two bathrooms & 16 seats that can be folded to make eight beds. On the exterior, branded with his signature number 10 on the tail, names of the Argentina icon, his wife, and their three children, written on steps pic.twitter.com/shokwuWIov

— Xinhua Sports (@XHSports) December 11, 2018

What Can We Learn From Messi’s Story?

Messi’s story is one for the ages.

He is one of the lucky few people who found their passion – and their biggest strength – from a very early age. But, he also shows that while natural talent is undeniably helpful, success is mostly the result of work ethic, dedication, and discipline.

Over the years, Lionel Messi has consistently put in the hard work to refine and improve his skills on the field.

Messi faced challenges early in his career, while he was still very young due to his financial struggles and health problems, not to mention having to move away from his family. Despite these obstacles, he persevered to pursue his dream – and made millions in the process.

Consequently, his success with FC Barcelona is a testament to the power of teamwork.

He has been loyal to the team that helped him as a child, so much so that he offered to take a pay cut of 50%, which would erase millions from his contract. Despite achieving immense success, Messi remains humble and expresses gratitude for all the opportunities he has received in life, a humility that has contributed to a very positive personal image he has maintained over the years.

Finally, Messi’s global influence expands beyond the football pitch.

His philanthropic efforts, starting with the Leo Messi Foundation highlight the responsibility that comes with one’s success and fame. He has shown us that it is possible to use one’s platform for positive change and make a significant impact.