Dara Khosrowshahi
$100 million
Lionel Messi’s net worth is estimated at $850 million, making him one of the wealthiest athletes in history. Born in Rosario, Argentina, Messi spent 21 years at FC Barcelona before stints at Paris Saint-Germain and, since 2023, Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer. His fortune is built on a combination of record-setting contracts, a four-decade endorsement relationship with Adidas, and a share of Inter Miami’s revenue streams tied directly to his presence in American soccer.
Updated March 2026: According to Forbes, Messi remains among the world’s highest-paid soccer players, with total annual earnings estimated between $70 million and $80 million when factoring in his Inter Miami salary, equity stakes, and endorsements. His overall net worth is estimated at approximately $850 million.
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccitini was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina, the third of four children of Jorge Messi, a steel factory manager, and Celia Cuccitini, a part-time cleaner. Messi joined local youth club Grandoli at age four and quickly progressed through Newell’s Old Boys, one of Argentina’s storied academies. At age 10, doctors diagnosed him with a growth hormone deficiency that threatened to stall his development — treatment cost roughly $1,000 per month, an amount beyond the family’s means.
In 2000, FC Barcelona’s scout Carles Rexach offered a contract famously scrawled on a paper napkin after watching Messi train. Barcelona agreed to cover the hormone therapy in exchange for the family relocating to Spain. Messi enrolled at La Masia, Barcelona’s elite youth academy, foregoing conventional higher education to focus entirely on football. He received Spanish citizenship in 2005, enabling him to play for clubs and, eventually, to represent Argentina at international level.
Messi made his official senior debut for FC Barcelona on October 16, 2004, at age 17 — becoming the club’s third-youngest debutant at the time. His first full season in 2005–06 coincided with Barcelona’s Champions League title. What followed was the most decorated individual career in the history of the sport:
In August 2021, a combination of Barcelona’s financial collapse and La Liga’s wage-cap regulations forced Messi’s departure after 17 seasons. He signed with Paris Saint-Germain, earning a reported €35 million annually, but struggled to replicate his club form in France. In July 2023, Messi joined Inter Miami CF in the MLS, reportedly earning a guaranteed $20.5 million base salary plus equity and revenue-share arrangements tied to the Apple TV+ MLS Season Pass and an Adidas partnership, bringing total annual compensation to an estimated $70–80 million. He immediately won the Leagues Cup in 2023 and then led Inter Miami to their first MLS Cup title in 2025, taking home the MLS MVP award and Golden Boot in the same season.
As of early 2026, Messi continues to play for Inter Miami and remains captain of Argentina’s national team, with the country hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup — a tournament Messi is expected to enter as a marquee attraction and potentially his final World Cup.
Messi married Antonela Roccuzzo on June 30, 2017, in Rosario — a childhood friend he has known since age five. The wedding was attended by virtually the entire Barcelona squad and was described by Argentine media as one of the most high-profile celebrity marriages in the country’s history. The couple have three sons: Thiago (born November 2012), Mateo (born September 2015), and Ciro (born March 2018).
Messi is widely described as introverted and family-oriented. He enjoys padel tennis, video games, and spending time at home. He has spoken publicly about his Catholic faith, including a long-standing tribute to his late maternal grandmother, who first took him to football training. He holds both Argentine and Spanish citizenship. Since relocating to Miami, the family has settled in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Through the Leo Messi Foundation, he has donated to children’s hospitals, schools, and disaster relief efforts in Argentina. He has also partnered with UNICEF as a goodwill ambassador since 2010.
Lionel Messi’s net worth is estimated at approximately $850 million as of 2026. The figure reflects over two decades of professional salaries totaling more than $1.2 billion, combined with an estimated $400 million in endorsement income over his career, offset by taxes, living expenses, and charitable giving.
Messi’s total annual compensation at Inter Miami is estimated at $70–80 million, according to Forbes. This includes a guaranteed base salary of $20.5 million, performance bonuses, and a revenue-sharing agreement tied to Inter Miami’s commercial deals with Apple Inc. and Adidas. The arrangement made him the highest-paid player in MLS history by a significant margin when he signed in 2023.
Yes. Messi has been married to Antonela Roccuzzo since June 2017. They have three sons: Thiago (b. 2012), Mateo (b. 2015), and Ciro (b. 2018). Roccuzzo is a model and social media personality who grew up in the same neighborhood as Messi in Rosario, Argentina. The family currently resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.