The Argentine’s existing contract was set to expire in the summer of 2018 and whether at Camp Nou or elsewhere, it was never in doubt that he would land a major pay day.
What is Messi’s salary?
Messi’s new contract is reportedly worth a net £500,000 (€565,000) a week. It’s difficult to compare exactly due to different tax rules and bonuses, but he is probably the second-highest paid player in Europe behind Neymar.
Before signing this deal, Messi was estimated to be on around £336,000. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were better off at that point having signed new deals more recently than Messi, but he is now back out in front in Spain.
Only two footballers outside of Europe earn more than Messi and Neymar: Carlos Tevez and Ezequiel Lavezzi, who play in the cash-rich Chinese Super League.
Ironically, Messi has Neymar to thank for his new and improved terms. His departure to Paris Saint-Germain not only brought Barca a massive windfall but also took his wages off the books.
What sponsorship deals does Messi have?
Much like Ronaldo , Messi’s many sponsorship deals are too numerous to list in their entirety but the most significant is with the makers of his boots. Their rivalry continues in the battle between Nike (Ronaldo) and Adidas (Messi) off the pitch. A couple of months or so after Ronaldo signed a “long-term” deal with Nike that is rumoured to be similar to the lifetime agreement penned by basketball star LeBron James – and potentially worth $1 billion – Messi, lo and behold, did similar with Adidas.
The exact terms were not disclosed, but reports in Spain suggest it will take him through at least until the end of his playing career. Messi has also been part of prominent campaigns with Pepsi, Gillette and Turkish Airlines. As part of their 2018 celebrity rich list, Forbes valued his endorsements at $27 million for that year in total.
What is Messi’s net worth?
Messi’s net worth is estimated to be between £200m and £230m, and probably comes in a touch lower than Ronaldo’s. These figures are speculative, though, especially as his business interests tend not to be widely publicised.
Forbes ranked Messi second among athletes on their list of the 100 highest-earning celebrities of 2018, putting his income for the year at $111.m and eighth overall. He was $3m behind Ronaldo and some $108m ahead of Neymar, who was the next footballer on the list $91.