Surpassing LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, Lionel Messi is the highest paid athlete in the world today. He holds a net worth of more than 600 million USD.

Athletes who earn the most money of the year

Lionel Messi is the highest paid athlete in the world today. Photo: Getty Images.

According to Forbes , Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi earned $130 million between May 2021 and May 2022, surpassing LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to become a highly paid athlete. best in the world today.

Most of the above money comes from on-field earnings in the past year, $75 million, more than any other sports athlete on the planet. His salary at Paris Saint-Germain alone reached $35 million/year, meaning he earned $673,000/week, equivalent to $96,000/day. In addition, according to Evening Standard , the 35-year-old player pocketed a joining fee worth 26 million USD when signing with the French team in the summer of 2021.

Messi’s non-football income was $55 million last year, only surpassed by tennis icon Roger Federer and NBA superstar LeBron James. Specifically, he has a partnership worth $20 million/year with the Socios platform (a phone application created specifically for football fans). The rest comes from advertising contracts with Adidas, Budweiser and PepsiCo. In June 2021, he also became the brand ambassador of Hard Rock International.

Wealthy Gorilla estimates that Messi has a net worth of more than 600 million million USD. According to Forbes, the 8X player earned $1.15 billion throughout his career on and off the field. Only three active athletes, LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo and Tiger Woods, have ever earned more.

How does Messi spend money?

Messi owns a net worth of more than 600 million USD. Photo: Instagram.

One of Messi’s biggest hobbies is luxury cars. According to Goal , Messi has an impressive car collection, including a Pagani Zonda Tricolore worth $2 million, Ferrari F430 Spyder, Dodge Charger SRT8 and Maserati Gran Turismo…

The Argentine striker was said to have bought the most expensive car ever, a 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Spider Scaglietti, for $37 million in 2016. However, he denied this rumor with a post. on Instagram with satirical content. In it, he shared a photo of himself holding a toy car, with the caption: “My new car.”

Messi’s most luxurious property is a villa worth $7 million in the suburb of Castelldefels, Barcelona (Spain). This is a private, no-fly area. The villa has a swimming pool, indoor gym, tatami room and spa, as well as stunning views of the Catalan mountains and nearby beaches. In addition, the real estate also includes a soccer field, where Messi likes to play with his dog Hulk.

Messi also owns an “eco-house” themed around his career, a villa in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, and a floor of a luxury apartment building in Saint Isles Beach, Florida, USA, built by him. purchased for $7.3 million in 2021.

Messi and his wife and 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren live in a $7 million villa in Barcelona. Photo: Instagram.

Since 2017, Messi has owned the MiM Hotels hotel chain, operated by Majestic Hotel Group, which has resorts in Ibiza, Majorca and Barcelona (all in Spain).

In 2021, the brand opens its first winter resort in the heart of the Pyrenees, in the Aran Valley (Spain). According to Forbes , this 4-star hotel has 141 rooms, a spa, indoor swimming pool, fitness center and climbing guide service.

However, Messi was forced to destroy his hotel in Barcelona. Messi bought the building in 2017 for $35 million. Unfortunately, the hotel’s balcony is too large for the size allowed. Messi cannot fix it because removing or reducing the size of the balcony can lead to the hotel collapsing…

Messi’s other hobby is traveling around the world. To serve his travel needs, the famous player bought a Gulfstream V private jet in 2004 for $15 million. The plane includes two kitchens and a bathroom, and can accommodate up to 16 passengers. The tail of the plane had the number 10 printed on it – his shirt number from his time in Barcelona and the names of his wife, Antonella, and 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren on the steps.

This summer, Messi celebrated his 35th 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day with his family at Ushuaia, a beachfront hotel in Ibiza. Former teammates Cesc Fabregas and Luis Suarez and their wives also took part.

According to the Miami Herald , Messi chose to vacation in Miami Beach, South Florida, after Argentina won the 2021 Copa America. He rented a 4-story villa worth $10,000/night in the island town of Key Biscayne as his residence during the semester. rest. The villa has 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, gym, terrace and infinity pool.

Messi traveled by plane for 15 million USD. Photo: Instagram.

Compassionate superstar

Not only does he know how to enjoy a luxurious life, Messi is also interested in charity. In 2007, he cooperated with Unicef ​​(United Nations Children’s Fund) to establish the Leo Messi Foundation, to help vulnerable 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren around the world.

According to Unicef, in 2017, Messi donated a large sum of money to help the fund build classrooms for 1,600 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren orphaned by the war in Syria. In 2019, the foundation donated $218,000 to provide food and water to people in Kenya.

“I get excited every time I see a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 smile, when they think there is hope, when they feel happy. That’s why we decided to create the Leo Messi Foundation. I will continue to fight to bring happiness to 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren with the same strength and dedication that I need to continue being a football player,” he wrote on the foundation’s website.

Messi set up a charity fund to help 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren in difficulty around the world. Photo: Instagram.