MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Saturday, May 23rd 2026 - 01:44 UTC
His wealth accumulation reflects a novel trend within elite sport, where large fortunes have traditionally been built through investments outside the field of play
Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, 38, has crossed the USD 1 billion net worth threshold and joined the exclusive group of billionaire athletes, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The captain of the Argentine national team, world champion in Qatar 2022 and winner of eight Ballons d'Or, now shares the category with his historic sporting rival, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who reached the milestone in 2023 after signing with Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League.
Messi has accumulated more than USD 700 million in salaries and bonuses since his professional debut in 2007, according to the information compiled by Bloomberg, in addition to market returns, sponsorship revenues, real estate investments, and his stake in a restaurant chain. The commercial management of his career has historically been led by his father, Jorge Messi, and has consolidated particularly in recent years, narrowing the historic gap with Cristiano Ronaldo, whose commercial profile has traditionally been more active in global marketing.
