Lionel Messi is paid up to US$80 million a year by Inter Miami, says club owner

MIAMI – Lionel Messi, the Argentinian football superstar, is paid between US$70 million (S$89.5 million) and US$80 million a year by Inter Miami when including equity rights and player compensation, club owner Jorge Mas said.

Messi, 38, signed a new three-year contract at Miami in 2025, keeping him at the most valuable Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise into his 40s.

The full terms of that contract were not made public. But he is expected to be a partial club owner when he stops playing, given the structure of the agreements since he arrived in 2023.

To help pay for one of the greatest players ever, along with his cast of older stars like Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, Mas leans heavily on sponsorship and other commercial deals, representing about 55 per cent of the club revenue.

Media rights, which are hugely important for most major sports franchises, are just 2 per cent of revenue for Miami, Mas said.

“The reason that I need to have sponsors and for them to be world class is because players are expensive,” Mas said.

“I pay Messi – worth every penny – but it’s US$70 to US$80 million a year. Across everything.”

He did not elaborate how Messi’s contract is structured or how the annual costs add up.

Messi is the second-highest paid footballer globally after Cristiano Ronaldo, who has a contract reportedly worth more than US$400 million with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr. 

Mas, a 63-year-old businessman from Miami, built his career and fortune at his family construction and real estate development company MasTec Inc.

The businessman, who owns the club along with his brother Jose and English football icon David Beckham, said he does not compete with other MLS teams necessarily off the pitch. He sees clubs in the top European leagues as competitors for luring player talent.

The massive investments into Miami have begun to translate into trophies. The club won their first MLS Cup last season and commemorated the title on March 5 at the White House alongside US President Donald Trump.

Mas recommends other owners to focus on brand deals and sponsorships over media revenue for now. 

The club’s valuation rose 22 per cent in 2025 alone to US$1.45 billion, making it the most valuable in MLS, according to Sportico.

What happens when “Messimania” eventually fades away and Mas and his partners are forced to find the next great one to lure fans to the stadium and merchandise remains to be seen.

“I’ve disrupted Major League Soccer. Some criticise, some praise. I steer the boat because I do think we need to change a lot of things,” he said. “You can’t fear change. In order to thrive and succeed, you need to do things differently.” BLOOMBERG