Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas disclosed that team captain Lionel Messi earns between $70 million and $80 million annually, which includes his stake in the franchise. Mas discussed the necessity of optimizing sponsorships and diversifying revenue sources to support these costs.
Recently, Miami secured a sponsorship deal with Nu, a Brazilian financial services firm, granting naming rights to the club’s new stadium located near Miami International Airport.
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The under-construction Nu Stadium, which will accommodate 26,700 spectators, is set to host its inaugural match on April 4.
“The requirement for outstanding sponsors is driven by the high costs of players,” Mas stated in a Bloomberg interview published on Friday. “Messi is worth every penny, but he commands $70 million to $80 million annually across all aspects.”
Messi stands as the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, with a base salary of $12 million and guaranteed earnings totaling $20,446,667, according to the MLS Players Association’s salary guide.
In addition to his salary, it’s reported that Messi benefits from other revenue streams, such as an endorsement deal with Adidas and a revenue-sharing agreement with the league’s broadcast partner, Apple.
After joining Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, Messi extended his contract with the club in October, which is set to run through the end of the 2028 season.
In a recent conversation with ESPN, Xavier Asensi, the president of business operations at Inter Miami, noted that the groundwork for leveraging Messi’s potential arrival was laid long before he decided to join the team.
“I don’t believe in luck; I think luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity,” Asensi shared with ESPN.
“Events occur, or you provoke them to happen, but you must be ready for when they do. Lionel’s arrival wasn’t by chance; it was the result of strategic planning and effort. It’s the American ideology of ‘aim high and be prepared for challenges.’
“You aim for the top and, once there, make efforts before, during, and after to maximize the positive impact.
“A concrete example is when we inked the major jersey sponsorship deal in 2021. I negotiated a clause stating that if the club acquired a player with at least five Ballon d’Or awards, the sponsorship fee would double.
This clause was part of the 2021 contract, illustrating that even back then, we were preparing mentally and structurally for Lionel’s potential signing.”
With Messi’s record-breaking contract, Inter Miami has become the most valuable MLS team, valued at $1.45 billion, according to Sportico.
The publication also indicated that Inter Miami’s value surged by 22% over the past year.
“Our growth stems from our victories,” Asensi remarked.
He emphasized that Messi’s influence on the club’s finances is “night and day,” asserting that without his contributions on the field, the team would be in a different situation.
“Leo transforms everything for the better,” he stated. “Since Messi joined us, we’ve reached the US Open Cup final, secured the Leagues Cup, claimed the Supporters’ Shield with a record point total, qualified for the Champions League, won the MLS Cup, and reached another Leagues Cup final and the Champions League semifinals while qualifying for the Club World Cup.
“It’s clear that Lionel’s presence on the field, along with the surrounding excitement, has significantly enhanced the club’s performance. This directly connects back to our reliance as a football club on what happens in matches.”