In July 2023, a few days after the formalization of his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami. Initially, the Argentine international received a salary of 12 million dollars (20.5 million USD including bonuses).
Less than three years later, the Major League Soccer club paid him emoluments estimated at more than $28.3 million annually. Figures revealed last Tuesday by the players’ union of the North American Soccer League.
Unsurprisingly, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is well ahead of the highest paid players in MLS. He is ahead of Korean Son Heung-min ($11 million), who arrived last summer at Los Angeles FC, after spending ten years at Tottenham. The Argentinian Rodrigo De Paul, teammate of “La Pulga” in Miami, completes the podium.
Messi earned much more at Barça
Lionel Messi earned a much better living when he played at FC Barcelona. Indeed, within the Catalan club, the native of Rosario was paid up to more than one hundred million euros gross per year.
With sixty million euros annually from his multiple sponsorship contracts, the reigning world champion “rounds off” his income nicely. He is the second highest paid footballer in the world, behind his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
