According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Messi’s net worth has surpassed $1 billion – making him only the second footballer in history to reach the milestone after Cristiano Ronaldo, who crossed it in 2023 following his move to Al-Nassr. Bloomberg estimates Messi has earned more than $700 million in salary and bonuses since 2007 alone.
The bulk of his current earnings flow from Inter Miami, where owner Jorge Mas has indicated his total annual package – combining player compensation, equity rights and a reported revenue-sharing deal with Apple TV+ – sits between $70 million and $80 million per year. Inter Miami’s valuation has since climbed to $1.45 billion, the highest of any club in the United States.
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Beyond football, Messi has been building quietly. A Spanish real estate investment trust worth $232 million, a sports drink launched in 2024, a stake in Argentine restaurant chain El Club de la Milanesa and a growing portfolio of football clubs across Spain and Uruguay form the backbone of a business empire managed largely by his father Jorge.
Lionel Messi turned down an eye-watering Saudi contract to join Inter Miami — and found his own path to billionaire status https://t.co/pZHFXEsOLK
— Bloomberg (@business) May 22, 2026
The irony is that the billion could have arrived years earlier. Messi turned down a reported $400 million annually from the Saudi Pro League in 2022 – a decision he explained simply. “Money was never a problem for me, nor an obstacle in anything.”
As he prepares for a sixth World Cup at 38, the business education continues. “Football has an expiry date,” he said recently. “Business is something I like and I am learning about.”
Photo: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty
