Lionel Messi contract at Inter Miami is, no doubt, one of the biggest contracts in world football. It is a contract that will benefit both Messi and Inter Miami and even Major League Soccer as a whole.
The contract consists of the salary offered by Inter Miami and other benefits from companies which will be broken down in this article.
Read Up: Best African Players To Play In MLS
Annual Salary
Lionel Messi contract at Inter Miami is a two-and-a-half-year deal and is worth between $50 million and $60 million annual salary which means he earns about $1 million per week.
This also includes signing bonuses and equity at the club.
Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami from PSG in July 2023 on a free transfer. The offer from the Miami-based club is the major reason the 36-year-old joined them.
Prior to Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami, a Saudi-based club Al-Hilal offered him a contract amounting to a yearly salary of €1 billion which he rejected but his contract with Inter Miami could potentially be more than that offered by Al-Hilal.
Read Also: Best MLS Signings From European Clubs
Deal With Adidas
Since the establishment of the MLS, the league has partnered with Adidas for the provision of all the shirts, kits and equipment used by all the clubs in the league.
Messi is already an Adidas athlete with a lifetime deal with the company which he signed in 2017. His arrival to the MLS will skyrocket the sales made by Adidas and will, therefore, be given a percentage of the profit made from those sales.
Prior to joining the MLS, Messi’s Adidas contract deal was worth $19.2 million annually which is in addition to the lifetime deal he signed with the company worth $1 billion. The deal meant the Argentine will wear Adidas boots for the rest of his career and the company will also have exclusive rights to use Messi’s image to advertise their products.
Messi’s revenue will undoubtedly increase after coming to the MLS.
Read Also: Difference Between MLS and Premier League
Deal With Apple TV
Apple also gave Messi a similar deal to that of Adidas.
Apple TV paid a whopping $2.5 billion for the right to broadcast all MLS matches on a 10-year deal which they package to fans for about $40 per season. They are also preparing a Lionel Messi documentary series on his 2022 World Cup victory which could attract more viewers to subscribe.
Messi will then receive a percentage of the subscription revenue.
This move will not only benefit Lionel Messi but will also benefit Apple as a company which could expand the company’s position in Latin America.
Read Also: Best Free Transfers In Football
Conclusion
Overall, Lionel Messi contract at Inter Miami is worth about $60 Million including bonuses.
Messi’s move to Inter Miami is a testament that football is mostly about business as everyone, including Inter Miami and the Major League Soccer, will benefit from it.
His arrival is expected to double the estimated revenue for Inter Miami and the MLS in the next few years and also increase the league’s popularity in the world.
Shirt sales and ticket sales have significantly increased in the past few weeks and will only continue to increase in the coming weeks.
