Lionel Messi makes millions from football, endorsements and hotel investments – so how does the legend spend his cash, and does leaving Barcelona for PSG in Paris mean taking a pay cut?
- The world’s second-highest-paid athlete owns hotels in Sitges near Barcelona, Ibiza and Mallorca, plus a ski resort in Andorra – and travels in a Gulfstream V private jet
- He wears a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master and splurges on luxury cars too: a Ferrari F430 Spider, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale
Star footballer Lionel “Leo” Messi recently made headlines with his emotional departure from Spain’s FC Barcelona, and the quick decision to sign with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). With that, football fans the world over have been reminded of Messi’s incredible career – and just how much he is worth.
Efforts by Barcelona to re-register the all-time great were in vain, their current financial constraints meaning they could no longer afford to keep him. And so, after 20 years with the club, Messi left for Paris. According to Forbes, his new deal with PSG earns him roughly US$76 million a year, a sum that’ll likely ensure he stays in the top three of the world’s highest-paid soccer players.
But how does Messi spend his millions? We take a quick glimpse at his luxurious life off the field.
New team, new watch
In a truly momentous event in the sporting world, Messi arrived in Paris to greet the fans of his new team, signing a contract with PSG while wearing a white T-shirt reading “Ici c’est Paris (This is Paris)”, and a Rolex Yacht-Master. Estimated to be worth about US$27,300, according to Robb Report, his luxury watch of choice is the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master, ref. 126655, a valuable and historic piece to mark this important football occasion.
A crazy car collection – and a private jet
The “Atomic Flea” – as he is known in Spain – goes big on cars, and he was once even rumoured to have bought a 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Spider Scaglietti, tagged as the “world’s most expensive car”, for roughly US$37 million at auction. He later denied this, however.