Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami Salary Details Revealed By MLS Franchise Owner
Messi decided to join Inter Miami last month when his Paris Saint-Germain contract was set to expire, in turn rejecting approaches from former club FC Barcelona and Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
The Argentine is still yet to make his US debut after finishing the European season, playing a friendly for his World Cup-winning national team where he scored a fastest career goal against Australia, and featuring in a pair of testimonials at the stadiums of Newell’s Old Boys and Boca Juniors.
In the meantime, though, Jorge Mas has shed some light on how Messi was acquired and what he will take home from his new ground the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
Billionaire Mas, who co-owns The Herons with David Beckham and is the chairman and largest shareholder of Miami-based construction and engineering company MasTecMTZ +1.1%, revealed that Messi’s contract will pay him “between $50 and $60 million per year”.
“I spent three years on it, a year and a half very intensely,” Mas explained, as per chasing Messi.
“There were many conversations with [Messi’s father and agent] Jorge. David [Beckham] talked to Leo, only about football issues, because he was a player.
“I saw it done at the end of May. I didn’t want him to feel under pressure. We spoke in Barcelona, Miami, Rosario, Doha… I spent the whole World Cup in Qatar, watching Argentina.
“The AppleAAPL +2.3% contract was very important to close the deal,” Mas said, in a nod to the 10-year, $2.5 billion deal the technology giant penned with the MLS in February.
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Though Inter Miami’s pay packet pales in comparison to the reported €500 million ($545 million) a year offer Al-Hilal tabled, Messi could still return to the top of Forbes’ list of the World’s Highest-Paid Athletes in 2024 with help from his other endorsements and fresh partnerships deals acquired in the U.S.
In May, Messi was pipped to the top spot on Forbes’ list by generational rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who earned a total $136 million compared with his $130 million.
Since Messi joined Miami, though, ESPN reported he is set to receive a cut of revenue from Apple’s Live Pass for MLS fans when subscriptions take an expected boost thanks to his presence in the league.
The Independent also explained that sources told them the MLS’s sponsor and Messi’s, Adidas, was looking into a profit-sharing agreement with the player.
According to Mas, Messi “can turn MLS into one of the two or three biggest leagues in the world”.
“I think he comes with the desire to leave his mark, and he will be able to do so beyond football,” Mas added.
“When he retires he will have a stake in the club,” Mas further revealed, imagining “a life after football” for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner “very similar” to that of Beckham or Michael Jordan.
