Lionel Messi’s net worth has reached an estimated $1.1 billion, according to Forbes, making the Argentina superstar one of the few active athletes in the world to achieve billionaire status. At 38, Messi has turned decades of success on the football pitch into a fortune built through salaries, endorsements, investments and commercial opportunities.
The Argentine forward has spent 13 consecutive years among the world’s five highest-paid athletes, combining enormous football earnings with a powerful global brand. Forbes estimates that Messi earned around $70 million on the field this season, while another $70 million came from endorsements and other business ventures.
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Messi’s path to billionaire status, however, was not simply about earning the biggest possible football salary. One of his most significant financial decisions came after Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Following his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi had the opportunity to move to Saudi Arabia. A reported offer from the Saudi Pro League was believed to be worth as much as $400 million per year. Instead, Messi chose a different route and joined Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.
The move to the United States gave Messi a chance to expand his influence beyond football while continuing to earn substantial income. His growing commercial profile in America has also created opportunities that could continue generating wealth after his playing career ends.
A key part of Messi’s future financial picture is his connection with Inter Miami. Forbes estimates that Messi has an option to acquire an equity stake in the club after he retires. Such a holding could potentially become an important part of his long-term wealth.
Messi’s fortune has also been powered by years of lucrative endorsement partnerships and commercial ventures. His global popularity has made him one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet, allowing companies to associate their brands with one of football’s most successful players.
His billionaire status puts him in an elite group of athletes. Messi is one of only four athletes to have reached the $1 billion mark while still active in their respective sports, joining basketball superstar LeBron James, golf legend Tiger Woods and longtime football rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Former England star David Beckham has also recently reached billionaire status. Beckham’s journey is particularly relevant to Messi because he moved to the United States late in his playing career and later became a minority owner of Inter Miami.
For Messi, the billionaire milestone represents more than the accumulation of football wages. His career illustrates how sporting success, global fame, endorsements and strategic business opportunities can combine to create enormous long-term wealth.
With another World Cup campaign ahead, Messi is now entering a new phase of his career—one in which his legacy is measured not only by trophies and goals, but also by the extraordinary financial empire built around his name.
