Rabat – Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas has revealed that Lionel Messi’s overall compensation package is worth between $70 million and $80 million a year, once his ownership share in the club is included.
Mas explained the scale of the deal in an interview with Bloomberg: “Players are expensive. I pay Messi, worth every penny, but it’s $70 million to $80 million a year. Across everything.”
According to the MLS Players’ Association, Messi’s base salary is $12 million, with guaranteed compensation listed at $20.45 million.
That figure makes him the highest‑paid player in Major League Soccer, ahead of LAFC’s Son Heung‑min ($11.15 million) and his Miami teammate Sergio Busquets ($8.75 million), who retired last season.
Messi’s contract with Inter Miami goes far beyond salary. His deal includes a percentage of ownership in the club, which has grown sharply in value since his arrival. Miami was valued at about $585 million in 2023, but Forbes now places the franchise at $1.35 billion.
The equity portion of Messi’s agreement is believed to add at least $60 million annually to his earnings, depending on the team’s rising valuation. His contract runs through the 2028‑29 season, and sources have said his ownership stake will activate once he retires.
Reports previously estimated Messi’s deal at $50 million to $70 million per year, tied to Miami’s franchise value.
With the club’s worth increasing, so too has the scale of his compensation. It is not clear whether Messi received additional equity when he signed his extension.
Messi also signed separate commercial deals with Apple and Fanatics when he joined MLS, and he has long‑standing ties with Adidas. Those agreements are outside his Inter Miami contract but add further to his overall earnings.
Inter Miami is owned primarily by Jorge Mas, his brother Jose Mas, and David Beckham. Messi’s arrival has transformed the club’s profile, boosted its valuation, and reshaped the economics of MLS.