The Argentine superstar is one of just four athletes to have joined the three-comma club while still active in their sports—and is one of two new billionaires competing at this year’s World Cup.
Hounded for years by skepticism that he could lead Argentina back to World Cup glory for the first time since 1986, Lionel Messi finally raised the trophy in 2022 with a man-of-the-match performance in the final against France. But the cathartic victory quickly gave way to another pressure-filled question: where the superstar forward would play his club soccer.
With his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expiring the following year, Messi had the opportunity to follow his rival Cristiano Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League and cash in on an offer that was rumored to be as high as $400 million a year. Instead, he ended up coming to the United States to play for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.
He left some money on the table, making an estimated $70 million on the field last season—along with $70 million from his endorsements and other business endeavors—but on the doorstep of another World Cup run, the 38-year-old Argentine has achieved the pinnacle of the American dream. Forbes estimates Messi is now a billionaire, with a net worth of $1.1 billion, primarily from cash accumulation and appreciation throughout his career, plus an option to acquire an equity stake in Inter Miami after he retires.
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