Lionel Messi, the second highest-paid athlete in the world, will run the ball in the USA in the new season. It was announced earlier this month that Messi signed with Inter Miami, which also includes legendary football player David Beckham. Messi, who is claimed to earn $100 million per season at Maimi, is both an athlete and a luxury hotel operator. The athlete, who has a net worth of 130 million dollars, has investments in areas such as hotel chains, real estate and luxury cars.
Lionel Messi celebrated his 37th birthday yesterday. The birthday of the star football player reminded him of his football career and his last transfer. Messi is ranked 2nd after Ronaldo on Forbes’ list of highest paid athletes.
Messi, who is stated to have earned more than 1 billion dollars throughout his entire sports life, also draws attention with his investments. Even his accessories are in the news when Messi appears before the camera outside of the jersey. For example, in August 2021, when he left Barcelona, where he spent 20 years, and went to PSG, when he arrived in Paris, the Rolex Yacht-Master watch with a value of $ 27,300 on his wrist attracted attention.
Again, according to Forbes’ data, Messi earned half of his income, or $65 million, from the field. Yıldız Topçu earned 35 million dollars annually only in Paris Saint-Germain. In other words, Messi’s income from the club was recorded as 738 thousand dollars per week, 105 thousand dollars per day and 8 thousand 790 dollars per hour. The Argentine athlete was also given a $25 million signing fee by PSG.
A contract leaked to the media in January 2021 showed that Messi made more money at Barcelona than is known. It turned out that the star football player can earn up to 165 million dollars annually with salary and success bonuses in Barcelona.
Messi’s earnings increase off the pitch as well
Messi wins off the field as much as he does on the field. This amount changes every year though. The latest data suggest that the Argentine star earned $65 million from advertising and sponsorship revenues and investments. This amount is $75 million for NBA star LeBron James and $95 million for legendary tennis player Roger Federer.
Blockchain-based fan interaction application Socios is at the forefront of Messi’s off-pitch revenues. According to the agreement signed by Messi with Socios, the company pays the star player $20 million annually. Messi also has sponsorship deals with Adidas, Budweiser and Pepsi. In fact, his contract with Adidas will last a lifetime. The 37-year-old legendary gunner also signed an agreement with the famous restaurant and entertainment chain Hard Rock in 2021 and became the brand’s first athlete face.
Messi opened his first store in 2019 and started his investments in retail. Messi opened the first store of his clothing brand in Barcelona.
He likes to spend his money on expensive cars
Media reports say that Messi’s car collection includes vehicles such as the $2 million Pagani Zonda Tricolore, Ferrari 430 Spyder, Dodge Charger SRT8 and Maserati Gran Turismo. Even in 2016, it was rumored that the Argentine star bought the most expensive car, the 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Spider Scaglietti, and Messi denied this claim. Then, he shared a photo of him holding a small toy car on social media with the description ‘My new car’.
Messi’s private jet, named 2004 GulfStream V, can host 16 passengers. There are also two kitchens and toilets on the plane.
One of Messi’s most luxurious properties is his $7 million mansion in Barcelona. The mansion in the no-fly district of Castelldefels features a pool, indoor gym, spa and mini football field. The house has views of both the Catalan mountains and the beach.
On the other hand, he has an ‘environmental house’ designed by architect Luis De Garrido in his hometown of Rosario. The theme of the soccer ball house is Messi’s career. Leo Messi also owns an apartment in Florida. The star football player paid $ 7.3 million for the house he bought in 2021.
Messi has also owned the hotel since 2017. MiM Hotels has summer resorts in Ibiza, Majorca and Barcelona, and a winter resort in the Aran Valley in Catolonia.
Sources: Forbes, Insider, SCMP
