Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
He joined FC Barcelona’s youth academy at the age of 13 and made his first-team debut in 2004 at the age of 17.
Since then, he has won numerous titles and awards, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, and four UEFA Champions League titles.
Messi has also won the Ballon d’Or award, which is given to the world’s best player, a record seven times.
In August 2021, Messi left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain and later Inter Miami where he currently plays.
He has also represented the Argentine national team and helped them win the Copa America in 2021, their first major international trophy in 28 years.
Messi is known for his incredible dribbling skills, vision, and goal-scoring ability, and is considered one of the most influential and inspiring footballers of all time.
Lionel Messi upbringing
Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina.
His upbringing and early life were marked by both hardship and passion for football.
Messi was born into a working-class family, and his parents, Jorge and Celia, struggled to make ends meet.
Messi’s father worked in a steel factory, while his mother cleaned houses.
His family lived in a small house in a poor neighborhood in Rosario, where he spent most of his childhood.
From a young age, Messi showed a natural talent for football.
He began playing for a local club, Grandoli, at the age of five, and soon caught the attention of scouts from the prestigious youth academy of Newell’s Old Boys.
Messi joined the academy at the age of six, and quickly rose through the ranks, impressing coaches and teammates with his skill and dedication.
However, his early life was not without challenges.
At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency, a condition that stunted his growth and threatened to derail his football career.
Messi’s parents could not afford the expensive treatment, which involved daily injections of human growth hormone, but Messi’s talent and determination caught the attention of FC Barcelona, one of the world’s most successful football clubs.
In 2000, at the age of 13, he and his family moved to Barcelona, where he joined the club’s youth academy, La Masia.
Messi’s talent quickly became apparent, and he rose through the ranks of the academy, eventually making his debut for the first team in 2004, at the age of 17.
Despite the challenges he faced in his early life, his passion for football and his natural talent helped him overcome adversity and become one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Today, Messi is a global icon, admired for his skill, humility and dedication to the game.
Lionel Messi net worth
Multiple sources including Goal and Pink Villa reported that Messi has an estimated net worth of $600 million.
How does Lionel Messi make his money?
Messi makes a lot of money both on and off the field.
According to Forbes, he took home an astonishing $75 million in on-field earnings over the last year, which is more than any other sportsperson on the planet.
His Paris Saint-Germain salary alone is worth $35 million annually, which means he earns $738,000 a week, or $105,000 a day, or $8,790 per hour.
Messi’s off-field earnings of $55 million over the last year can only be topped by tennis icon Roger Federer and NBA superstar LeBron James.
His endorsement portfolio includes deals with Adidas, Budweiser and PepsiCo, and he has a $20 million-a-year partnership with cryptocurrency “fan token” platform Socios.
He also became Hard Rock International’s first-ever athlete brand ambassador.
Messi’s net worth is estimated to be around $600 million by Forbes, who put his total overall career earnings at $1.28 billion in 2023.
His businesses include his fashion line, involvement in cryptocurrencies and NFTs, real estate holdings, and car collection.
Messi also has a lifetime agreement with Adidas and has been part of prominent campaigns with Pepsi, Gillette and Turkish Airlines.
Messi has also been involved in charity work, such as donating his own money to help the foundation build classrooms for 1,600 war-orphaned children in Syria.
How does Lionel Messi spend his money?
So, how does Messi spend his money?
While he is known for his private and low-key lifestyle, he has been reported to spend his wealth on a few key areas.
Messi has invested heavily in real estate, owning several properties in Spain and Argentina.
In 2020, he purchased a luxury apartment in Miami for $7.3 million.
Messi is also a car enthusiast and has a collection of high-end vehicles, including a Ferrari F430 Spider, Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale and Audi R8 Spyder.
Additionally, he is known for his charitable work. He has donated millions of dollars to various causes, including children’s hospitals, UNICEF and his own foundation, the Leo Messi Foundation, which focuses on improving access to education and healthcare for children.
Messi is a family man and has been reported to spend a significant portion of his wealth on his wife and children.
He has been seen on vacation with his family on luxury yachts and private islands.
On the other hand, Messi has also made several investments in businesses and startups.
In 2021, he became a shareholder in the French fashion brand, Balmain.
Lionel Messi career
Messi started playing football as a boy and joined the youth team of Newell’s Old Boys, a Rosario-based top-division football club, in 1995.
At age 13, Messi and his family relocated to Barcelona, where he began playing for FC Barcelona’s under-14 team.
He made his competitive debut for Barcelona aged 17 in October 2004.
Messi established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years, and in his first uninterrupted season in 2008–09, he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football.
After Ronaldinho lost form, Messi became Barça’s new star player at only 20 years old, receiving the nickname, Messiah, from the Spanish media.
He has been a key member of various Argentine national teams since 2005.
Messi played on Argentina’s victorious 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship squad, represented the country in the 2006 World Cup, and scored two goals in five matches as Argentina swept to the gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
After announcing his international retirement in 2016, he reversed his decision and led his country to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a third-place finish at the 2019 Copa América, and victory in the 2021 Copa América, while winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot for the latter.
For this achievement, Messi received a record-extending seventh Ballon d’Or in 2021.
Messi played for Barcelona for 17 years, helping the team to lift 10 La Liga titles, four Champions league crowns and seven Copa del Rey trophies.
When he eventually left the team in 2021 for French club Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentine completed his time in La Liga as its top goal-scorer, with an eye-watering 474 successful shots to his name.
In 2023, Messi joined Inter Miami of Major League Soccer.
Messi has won numerous individual awards and holds many records, including most goals in La Liga (474), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36), and the UEFA Champions League top scorer (134 goals).
He has seven Ballon d’Or awards, the most of any player.
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Lionel Messi properties and investments
As mentioned earlier, Messi has a net worth of around $600 million.
He has invested in various properties and businesses, including real estate, fashion and cryptocurrencies.
Properties
Messi’s primary residence for over a decade was a $2 million estate in Castelldefels, an exclusive coastal city about 15 miles from Barcelona, which is now estimated to be worth $7 million.
In January 2022, Messi built a massive estate in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, set across three plots of land, dubbed The Fortress.
The compound includes a large theater, a gym, and an underground garage with 15 parking spots.
In September 2021, Messi reportedly bought an Ibiza mansion for $11.18 million.
In early 2021, Messi bought a $7.3 million condominium in Miami, Florida.
Investments
Messi has invested in real estate in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, including the Azahares del Parana project, a set of gated communities outside the city, and an apartment building in the city center.
Messi has a fashion line and has invested in cryptocurrencies and NFTs.
He has invested in several hotels, including a four-star beachside property in Sitges, Catalonia, and a hotel empire.
Messi has a collection of luxury cars and a private jet.
