Inter Miami owner reveals Lionel Messi earns up to $80M per year

Seth Vertelney, USA TODAYMon, March 9, 2026 at 2:25 PM UTC

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Inter Miami owner reveals Lionel Messi earns up to $80M per year

Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas has revealed Lionel Messi is earning around $70 million to $80 million a year.

According to the MLS Players’ Association, Messi makes $20.45 million in guaranteed compensation per year, making him the highest-paid player in MLS.

But the Argentine superstar earns far more when including his ownership share in Inter Miami, which is included in his contract.

"The reason that I need to have sponsors and for them to be world class is because players are expensive," Mas told Bloomberg. "I pay Messi – worth every penny – but it’s $70 million to $80 million a year. Across everything.”

Messi signed a contract extension with Inter Miami last year that runs through 2028.

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1 / 0Messi, Inter Miami CF honored in a White House visit(L-R) Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF watches as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event celebrating the 2025 MLS Cup Champions Inter Miami CF in the East Room of the White House on March 5, 2026 in Washington, DC. Inter Miami defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 to win their first MLS Cup championship.

The 38-year-old also has separate deals with both Fanatics and Apple that see him compensated for league merchandise sales as well as streaming subscriptions.

Inter Miami is currently worth $1.45 billion according to Sportico, making it the most valuable MLS team.

Messi led the Herons to a MLS Cup title in 2025, also winning his second-straight MLS MVP award.

Inter Miami will open a new stadium next month located in Miami proper: Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lionel Messi salary: Inter Miami star makes up to $80 million

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