Lionel Messi is arguably one of the greatest football players to have walked the earth and at just 29 years of age, the Argentine forward has plenty of great years ahead of him. Notwithstanding the many ups and downs in his career, the whole world is in awe of the man who battled numerous hardships during his childhood to become one of the greatest of all time. And in his status as one of the best, he commands fees and salaries that are equally awe-inspiring.
In a report published by The Sun, the English tabloid outlined exactly how much the Barcelona star makes at the club and his various endorsement deals.
Also read: Top 10 footballers with the highest net worth
Messi’s salary at Barcelona
Messi is clearly the Catalan club’s highest paid player with weekly wages of £560,000. However, with Spain’s tax rates which stand at 52%, the Argentine captain gets to take home only £270,000. In comparison, his perceived rival Cristiano Ronaldo makes a marginally higher amount than him on a weekly basis.
Recently, Messi seems to be dissatisfied with his salary at the club as he has been holding out on signing a new contract. His current deal expires in a year and a half and it has been long reported that he has refused to re-sign as he is keen on an improved salary of £800,000 a week before taxes for his new term with Barcelona.
Messi’s hesitance has also encouraged other clubs to express their interest in signing the star. Some of the clubs who have been rumoured to be interested in him are Manchester United and Manchester City.
Value of Messi’s sponsorship deals
Messi has endorsement deals with Pepsi, Air Europa and Dolce & Gabbana that are worth $8 million a year to him. He also has a very lucrative deal with Adidas that allows him to have a say in boot designs. The Barcelona forward is currently in the middle of a seven-year contract with the sports merchandise company that is worth $140 million which breaks down to $20 million annually.
His deal with Adidas makes him the highest paid ambassador for the company, second being basketball player Derrick Rose of the New York Knicks who earns $14 million a year.
Messi’s net worth
According to Forbes , Messi’s net worth is estimated to be around $280 million in comparison to his arch nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo’s $320 million. In spite of such a huge value placed on him, in the financial year ending this June, Messi’s net earnings from his bonus and salary was $53.4 million while his endorsement deals earned him $28 million.
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