Argentine football captain, Lionel Messi, has officially crossed the $1 billion net worth mark, joining the exclusive billionaire club alongside Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham and long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
According to Bloomberg, the 38-year-old has earned more than $700 million in salaries and bonuses since making his professional debut in 2007.
After accounting for taxes, investment growth, sponsorship income and other business ventures, Messi’s fortune has now exceeded $1 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The achievement places Messi among the richest athletes in the world and alongside Ronaldo, who became football’s first billionaire after signing a lucrative new contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr last year.
Although Messi’s commercial influence initially lagged behind his football brilliance, his business empire has expanded significantly in recent years under the guidance of his father, Jorge Messi.
His billionaire status has been driven by a combination of his lucrative contract with Inter Miami CF, reported television revenue-sharing agreements, investments in real estate and his involvement in an Argentine restaurant chain.
Many believed Messi could have reached the milestone earlier after leading Argentina national football team to World Cup glory in 2022.
However, he turned down a reported $400 million-per-year offer from the Saudi Pro League and instead opted for a move to the United States, while Ronaldo accepted a Saudi deal reportedly worth over $200 million annually.
“Money was never a problem for me, nor an obstacle in anything,” Messi told Mundo Deportivo in an interview that year. “If it had been about money, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or somewhere else.”
Messi’s move to Inter Miami also came with unique incentives, including the option to purchase a stake in the club, where Beckham is already a key shareholder.
Although the exact size of Messi’s ownership stake remains unclear, the club’s valuation has surged dramatically since his arrival.
According to Sportico, Inter Miami’s value rose by more than 20 per cent in the year leading to February, reaching approximately $1.45 billion, making it the most valuable football club in the United States and the 16th most valuable globally.
His transfer to Major League Soccer also unlocked additional revenue streams. Reports from The Athletic stated that Major League Soccer and Apple discussed a revenue-sharing arrangement tied to subscriptions for Apple TV+’s MLS Season Pass.
Inter Miami owner, Jorge Mas, revealed that subscriptions to the streaming platform doubled in the month following Messi’s arrival.
Earlier this year, Mas estimated Messi’s total annual earnings from the club, including salary and equity benefits, at between $70 million and $80 million.
Away from football, Messi’s business interests continue to expand under the management of his father and long-time adviser Alfonso Nebot Armisen, who has overseen the player’s investment company since 2009.
In December 2024, Messi strengthened his property portfolio by listing a Real Estate Investment Trust, Edificio Rostower Socimi, on a Spanish exchange with a valuation of $232 million.
The company owns several hotels and commercial buildings.
The football icon has also ventured deeper into consumer products. In 2024, he launched the Más+ by Messi sports drink in partnership with Mark Anthony International SRL and joined Argentine restaurant chain El Club de la Milanesa to support its international expansion.
Like Ronaldo, Messi is also building investments within football itself. He recently acquired Spanish fifth-tier club UE Cornellà, adding to his stake in Uruguayan side Deportivo LSM, which he co-owns with former teammate Luis Suárez.
His family also established and currently operates lower-division Argentine club Leones de Rosario in their hometown.
