Inter Miami Owner Breaks Down Lionel Messi Pay: $70–$80 Million a Year When Ownership Is Counted
Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas this week said Lionel Messi’s total compensation amounts to about $70 million to $80 million a year when his ownership share in the club is factored in, a disclosure that reframes how the star’s value is measured beyond base salary. The figure has implications for club finances, sponsorship strategy and the way player pay is benchmarked in the league.
Lionel Messi's reported salary and guaranteed compensation
The club owner placed Messi’s overall package at roughly $70 million to $80 million annually, a number that stretches well beyond what appears on standard payroll tables. The MLS Players’ Association salary release lists Messi’s base salary at $12 million, with guaranteed compensation—calculated by the union to include bonuses amortized over the contract term—at $20. 45 million. Those MLS figures reflect league pay only and do not encompass Inter Miami’s separate contractual arrangements tied to ownership and bonuses.
Last season’s MLS compensation rankings show Messi at the top of the league in guaranteed pay, ahead of other high earners such as a player listed at $11. 15 million and another at $8. 75 million, the latter of whom has since retired. Those standings illustrate how guaranteed compensation differs from the broader, owner-stated total that folds in equity value and additional commercial components.
How ownership stake changes the math
Mas emphasized that the $70–$80 million range includes Messi’s percentage ownership in the club, a design that effectively converts part of on-field service into long-term equity value. Market valuations of the franchise have shifted substantially over a short period: the club was valued at roughly $585 million in 2023 before Messi’s arrival and was placed at about $1. 35 billion in the most recent business valuation this season. That rising franchise worth increases the theoretical annualized value of an ownership stake when amortized over contract years.
Mas’s estimates indicate the ownership component could be equivalent to at least $60 million per year under the current salary structure if that structure remains intact through Messi’s contract extension, which runs through the end of the 2028–29 season. The ownership interest is structured to activate upon Messi’s retirement, creating a pathway from player compensation to franchise co-ownership in the long term.
Commercial deals, club strategy and what’s next
The owner framed high-profile sponsorships as essential to sustaining elite player economics, noting that world-class partners are needed because players are expensive. Inter Miami’s approach relies heavily on commercial partnerships rather than traditional broadcast revenue to support the financial commitments tied to marquee talent.
Messi also has separate commercial contracts outside his Inter Miami agreement; compensation from those deals is not included in the club’s payroll figures. It remains unclear whether additional equity was granted at the time of his contract extension—such changes would further raise the annualized value of his compensation if they occurred.
Where this disclosure matters most is in how clubs, leagues and markets value star players. Counting ownership and external commercial arrangements alongside base salary creates a much larger headline number and reshapes comparisons between leagues and individual players. For Inter Miami, the calculation underscores a broader business strategy: leverage star power to grow franchise value and monetize that growth through partnerships and long-term asset appreciation.
Recent updates indicate that the owner’s $70–$80 million figure includes multiple components and that precise breakdowns of Messi’s stake and all bonus arrangements have not been publicly confirmed. Those details may evolve as the club’s valuation and Messi’s contractual status continue to change.
