Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas revealed that captain Lionel Messi is paid between $70 million and $80 million a year, including the player’s ownership shares, as Mas explained that the team needs to maximize sponsorship deals and additional revenue streams.
Earlier this week, Miami signed a deal with Brazilian financial services company Nu, which will have the naming rights to the team’s new stadium near Miami International Airport.
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Nu Stadium, a 26,700-seat facility still under construction, is scheduled to host its first game on April 4.
“The reason I need sponsors and they are world class is because players are expensive,” Mas said in an interview with Bloomberg on Friday. “I’m paying Messi – worth every penny – but it’s $70 to $80 million a year. Above and beyond.”
Messi is the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, earning a base salary of $12 million with guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667, according to the salary guide published by the MLS Players Association.
ESPN has reported that Messi also benefits from other sources of income, such as his endorsement deal with Adidas and a revenue-sharing agreement with league broadcast partner Apple.
After joining the club in the summer of 2023, Messi signed a contract extension with Inter Miami last October, which runs until the end of the 2028 season.
Lionel Messi scored his last goal for Inter Miami against DC United on Saturday. Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
In a recent interview with ESPN, Inter Miami president of business operations Xavier Asensi revealed that preparations to capitalize on the possible arrival of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner began long before Messi announced his intention to join the club.
“I don’t believe in luck. I think the definition of luck is when preparation meets opportunity,” Asensi told ESPN.
“Things happen, or you can make them happen, but you have to be prepared when they happen. Well, I think that’s what we’re seeing here. Lionel’s arrival isn’t a coincidence; there’s work behind it, a strategy and a plan to make it happen. It’s the American concept: ‘Aim for the best, be prepared for the worst.’
“You strive for the highest level, and then once you get there, you try to do things before, during and after to maximize the impact it can have.”
“A real example is the signing of the main shirt sponsorship contract in 2021. I inserted a clause stating that if the club signs a player who has won at least five Ballon d’Or awards, the sponsorship costs would double.”
“It’s in the contract. This is a contract for 2021. So it’s proof. I mean, in 2021 there were already contracts with clauses that mentally prepared the club and the structure in the event that Lionel potentially came here.”
Inter Miami’s record deal with Messi is paying off. According to Sportico, the club is the most valuable MLS team, valued at $1.45 billion.
The outlet also reported that Inter Miami’s valuation increased 22% in a year.
“Why did we grow? Because we won,” Asensi said.
Asensi said Messi’s influence on the financial aspect of the team was “day and night, black and white” and stressed that without his contributions on the pitch the club would be in a different situation.
“Leo changes everything for the better in some ways,” he said. “Since Lionel’s arrival, we have reached the US Open Cup final, won the Leagues Cup, won the Supporters’ Shield, a record number of points, qualified for the Champions League, won the MLS Cup, reached another Leagues Cup final, reached the Champions League semi-finals and qualified for the Club World Cup.”
“I think it’s pretty obvious and obvious that Lionel’s presence on the pitch and everything that has surrounded him has allowed the club to perform better and I’ve already told you this: as a football club we depend on what happens on the pitch.
