Lionel Messi is now a billionaire, with Forbes estimating his net worth at roughly $1.1 billion as of June 5, 2026, making him the fourth active athlete to hit that mark. Forbes also estimates his total career earnings top $1.8 billion, combining decades of soccer salaries with more than $600 million from endorsements, memorabilia, and business ventures, as Forbes detailed. Those figures are outside estimates, not audited disclosures, so treat them as informed modeling rather than official accounting. This breakdown separates what is verifiable—his MLS salary—from what is estimated, so you can see where the numbers come from.
Table of Contents
- What Messi is worth right now
- His verified MLS salary
- The money the salary sheet leaves out
- How his career earnings break down
- How to check the numbers yourself
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Messi is worth right now
Messi's net worth sits near the top of the sports world, but the exact number depends on who is counting. Forbes lands at about $1.1 billion, while other outlets estimate closer to $850 million. That spread exists because no one audits a private athlete's full balance sheet.
The $1.1 billion figure is Forbes' estimate, built from career pay, endorsement contracts, and investments minus taxes and spending. It is a reasonable model, not a bank statement. When you see a single "net worth" number quoted elsewhere, it almost always traces back to this kind of estimate. The practical takeaway: Messi is genuinely in billionaire territory by most credible measures, but any precise total should carry a mental asterisk.
His verified MLS salary
The one hard number in messi's finances is his Inter Miami pay, because the MLS Players Association publishes it. For 2026, the MLSPA guide lists Messi at $28,333,333 in guaranteed compensation on a $25 million base salary, as reported via Yahoo Sports. That is the highest in the league by a wide margin.
It is also a steep raise. In 2025 his base was $12 million with about $20.45 million guaranteed, so his 2026 extension roughly doubled his base pay, Sports Illustrated noted. For scale, the next-highest-paid MLS player, LAFC's Son Heung-min, earns $10.37 million base and $11.15 million guaranteed—under half of Messi's package. No other player is close.
The money the salary sheet leaves out
The MLSPA figure captures only Messi's playing contract. It excludes his large off-field income: an Apple TV revenue share, plus deals with adidas, Anheuser-Busch, and Hard Rock. Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas has said Messi collects roughly $70–80 million a year all-in from Inter Miami-linked income, Sports Illustrated reported.
Pull the camera back further and Forbes estimated Messi's total 2026 earnings at about $140 million, split roughly evenly between on-field salary and off-field deals. In other words, endorsements and equity now rival his soccer paycheck. This is why "how much does Messi make" has no single answer. The salary guide tells you one true slice; the endorsement and revenue-share deals, which are privately negotiated, roughly double it.
How his career earnings break down
Forbes' $1.8 billion career figure is a lifetime total, not an annual one. It stacks decades of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain wages onto his current MLS deal, then adds an estimated $600 million-plus from endorsements, memorabilia, and business ventures.
For recent context, Forbes ranked Messi 5th on its 2025 highest-paid athletes list at about $135 million, while Cristiano Ronaldo topped it at $275 million, Sports Illustrated reported. So even at Messi's scale, he is not always the single highest earner in a given year. A quick guide to how firm each number is:.
- MLS base and guaranteed salary — verifiable, from the MLSPA guide.
- Annual all-in income (~$140M) — estimate, mixing verified salary and private deals.
- Net worth (~$1.1B) — estimate, no audited source.
- Career earnings (~$1.8B) — estimate, Forbes' lifetime modeling.
How to check the numbers yourself
If you want to separate fact from estimate, start with the salary. The MLS Players Association publishes its official salary guide, the primary source for Messi's verified league pay. Everything there is real contract data.
For net worth and career totals, remember there is no primary financial statement from Messi. Those figures come from Forbes and similar outlets modeling public and reported income. When two sites disagree by hundreds of millions, neither is necessarily wrong—they are using different assumptions. A simple habit helps: when you read a Messi money stat, ask whether it is a disclosed salary or an estimated total, and cite the salary guide when you need something you can stand behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Messi officially a billionaire?
By Forbes' June 2026 estimate, yes—about $1.1 billion. It is an estimate, not an audited disclosure, and other outlets put him lower.
What is the only verified part of Messi's income?
His MLS salary. The MLSPA guide lists $28.33 million guaranteed for 2026; his endorsement and revenue-share income is privately negotiated and estimated.
Does Messi out-earn Cristiano Ronaldo?
Not on Forbes' 2025 list. Ronaldo led at $275 million; Messi ranked 5th at about $135 million.