Lionel Messi, often seen as one of the best footballers ever, has had an amazing career that’s not just about his incredible skills on the field but also about how much he earns; his weekly salary inclusive.
From his early days in Argentina to becoming a worldwide icon, Messi’s journey has made a huge impact in sports.
In this article, we’ll look at how much Messi makes each week, his early life, where his money comes from, and his overall wealth, and other interesting facts about him.
Table of contents
Messi’s Early Life
Lionel Andrés Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. He loved football from a young age and was playing for a local club, Grandoli, by the time he was six, with his father as his coach. But Messi’s journey wasn’t easy. At 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, and his family couldn’t afford the treatment.
When he was 13, Messi moved to Spain to join FC Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, because the club offered to pay for his medical treatment.
Messi made his first-team debut for Barcelona at 17 and quickly became a star player. During his time at Barcelona, he won many titles, including several UEFA Champions League and La Liga titles. He also became the club’s all-time top scorer, breaking many records along the way.
Career
In 2021, Messi left Barcelona because of the club’s financial troubles and joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). This move ended an era at Barcelona, where Messi had spent his entire professional career until then. At PSG, he continues to show his amazing skills and remains a key player.
Messi has also made a big impact playing for Argentina. Although he faced early challenges in major tournaments, he led Argentina to win the 2021 Copa América, their first major title in 28 years.
In 2022, he topped his international career by leading Argentina to victory in the FIFA World Cup, securing his place as one of the greatest footballers ever. Upon joining the MLS club Inter Miami in July 2023, his contract will end on December 31st, 2025.
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Lionel Messi’s Personal Life
In 2017, he married his childhood sweetheart, Antonela Roccuzzo. The two have known each other since they were kids growing up in Rosario, Argentina.
Messi and Antonela have three children: Thiago (born in 2012), Mateo (born in 2015), and Ciro (born in 2018). He is very close to his family, especially his mother, Celia, whose face he has tattooed on his left shoulder.
What is Lionel Messi’s Net Worth?
According to Insider, Messi’s current net worth is around $600 million (£480 million), making him one of the richest athletes in the world.
Forbes estimates that in 2023 alone, Messi has earned $600 million (£103 million) from his salary at PSG, sponsorships, and business ventures. This puts him second on the earnings list for 2023, just behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who has made $136 million (£108 million) this year, partly because of his move to Saudi Arabia.
However, it is important to note that Messi’s networth would likely increase by the time his contract with Inter Miami expires in 2025.
How much is Messi’s Weekly Salary?
Lionel Messi earns £320,000 per week, playing for Inter Miami as an attacking mid-fielder. With this weekly salary, Messi earns £16,640,000 per year, making him one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.
Messi Salary Per Week in Barcelona
Before leaving Barcelona in 2021, Lionel Messi earned about £1,000,000 per week. This figure doesn’t include any extra money he might have gotten from bonuses, endorsements, or other earnings he made during his time at the club.
Below is a table capturing his weekly earnings at Barcelona from 2017 to 2021.
| 2017 | £663,000 | £34,476,000 | Barcelona |
| 2018 | £686,000 | £35,672,000 | Barcelona |
| 2019 | £1,000,000 | £52,000,000 | Barcelona |
| 2020 | £1,000,000 | £52,000,000 | Barcelona |
| 2021 | £1,000,000 | £52,000,000 | Barcelona |
Messi’s Salary Per Week in Dollars
According to Forbes, Lionel Messi has image rights and merchandise sales included in his deal. So, when you add up his salary and the bonuses tied to his image rights, Messi earns about $75 million annually, which comes out to roughly $1.44 million per week.
How much is Messi’s Salary Per Week in Naira?
Lionel Messi’s weekly salary when converted into the Nigerian Naira is approximately ₦929,928,000 per week, which totals around ₦44,636,544,000 annually.
Messi’s Weekly Salary in Inter Miami
According to Salarysport, Messi’s weekly salary at Inter Miami is approximately £320,000 and 1.2 million in the USD.
Messi Salary Per Week PSG
Below is the tabular representation of Lionel Messi’s weekly salary at PSG in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
| 2022 | £1,000,000 | £52,000,000 | PSG |
| 2023 | £670,000 | £34,840,000 | PSG |
Messi’s Other Sources of Income
Lionel Messi earns from various sources beyond his base salary. He gets bonuses for hitting goals and winning titles. Messi also has deals with big brands like Adidas, PepsiCo, Lays, Jacob, Socios, Gatorade, Konami, Huawei, and Budweiser. These deals bring in a lot of money each year.
He’s also invested in different businesses, like a clothing line and a theme park in China. These ventures add to his income mix. Because he’s a global star, Messi makes a good amount from licensing his image for ads and products worldwide.
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Philanthropy
Throughout his career, Messi has always been dedicated to helping vulnerable children, inspired by his own health struggles as a kid. Since 2004, he’s been actively supporting UNICEF, both with his time and money, an organization closely linked with Barcelona.
Messi has been part of UNICEF campaigns focusing on preventing HIV, promoting education, and including disabled children in society.
Besides his work with UNICEF, Messi started his own charity, the Leo Messi Foundation, in 2007. This foundation helps kids get access to healthcare, education, and sports. The idea came to him after visiting a hospital for terminally ill children in Boston. That visit moved him so much that he decided to give back to the community with part of his earnings.
Awards
Lionel Messi’s list of awards is imposing. He has won FIFA’s World Player Trophy five times, with an amazing streak of four consecutive wins from 2009 to 2012. More recently, he has been named the Best FIFA Men’s Player thrice, in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Messi has also won Europe’s Ballon d’Or a record eight times, and in October 2023, he made history by becoming the first active MLS player to win the Ballon d’Or. On top of that, he has claimed the European Golden Shoe for being the top scorer six times, two more than his closest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.
In 2023, Time magazine named Messi its Athlete of the Year, highlighting his huge impact on making soccer more popular in the United States.
Quotes
Below are some of Messi’s favourite quotes. These also serve as his daily mantras by guiding his actions.
- Every year, I start with the objective of trying to achieve everything without comparing it to how I’ve done in other seasons.
- Whether it’s a friendly match, or for points, or a final, or any game—I play the same. I’m always trying to be my best, first for my team, for myself, for the fans and to try and win.
- I am competitive, and I feel bad when we lose. You can see it in me when we’ve lost. I’m in a bad way. I don’t like to talk to anyone.
- I made sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. I changed my friends, my people. Everything. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream.
- I have fun like a child in the street. When the day comes when I’m not enjoying it, I will leave football.
- I’ve never stopped being Argentine, and I’ve never wanted to. I feel very proud of being Argentine, even though I left there. I’ve been clear about this since I was very young, and I never wanted to change.
- Something deep in my character allows me to take the hits and get on with trying to win. I’ve always had this ability to get up and get on with it.
- I wasn’t teased as a child for my size. In fact, I think I had more affection because I was small.
- I am lucky, I live by my passion, and there are a lot of people who work, doing what they don’t like and are badly paid for that.
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Frequently Asked Questions on Messi Weekly Salary
Lionel Messi’s contract expires on Dec 31, 2025.
Lionel Messi is 36 years old.
Lionel Messi currently earns $12,000,000 gross per year.
Lionel Messi currently earns $230,769 gross per week.
Conclusion
Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina, and has become one of the greatest football players ever.
He began his career with Barcelona’s youth academy and worked up to the first team, where he achieved incredible success. Messi is a phenomenal player and earns a lot because of his talent and popularity.
References
- En.wikipedia.org – Lionel Messi
- Inquiresalary.com.ng – Lionel Messi’s Salary per Week & Net Worth
- Mywage.ng – Salary Lionel Messi
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