Lionel Messi and Inter Miami: Salary, Contract and Stats

Lionel Messi’s completion of football by winning the 2022 World Cup remains fresh in our memories, and so does his decision to leave Paris Saint-Germain for a move to the United States, indicating a change in his attitudes towards his career. But beyond just the shift in personal aspirations, Lionel Messi’s transfer to Inter Miami also had some business motivations: to extend the Messi brand to the richest market in the world and one where football is still a growing sport.

A brief history of Inter Miami

Inter Miami, as a football franchise, was founded by a former global superstar, none other than David Beckham. When Beckham joined Major League Soccer in 2007, one of his underlying intentions was to own a football team in the market. This dream was realised in 2018 when he ended up joining hands with other investors, such as the CEO of Softbank and Miami-based construction and telecommunications moguls in the form of Miami Beckham United Group, to get the rights to establish a football team in the city, which would join the league in 2020. Right from the establishment, David Beckham’s Inter Miami started to bring in the footballing stars of Europe, such as Gonzalo Higuain and Keiran Gibbs, to America to expand the sport's brand in the country. Lionel Messi’s signing for Inter Miami in 2023 was thus a culmination of this ambition, in ways emulating David Beckham’s move to the LA Galaxy as well.

Lionel Messi Inter Miami Contract

While Messi formally only signed with the club in June 2023, the preparations for his move had begun long ago. The club had already vacated the No. 10 jersey, which is the traditional number of Lionel Messi, unassigned to any player before the 2023 season began, and talks had also been underway with both Barcelona President Laporta, Paris Saint-Germain, and Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father. The culmination of the talks was a contract unrivalled in the history of sport.

Lionel Messi Inter Miami Salary

At Inter Miami, Lionel Messi was declared to have a base salary of $12 million per year, with a guaranteed pay of $20.5 million per year being paid by Miami. But that is not all that was part of Messi’s salary at Miami. He also gets a share of the revenue generated by Apple TV+ for its subscription plan for the MLS, along with his partnership with Adidas, which takes his annual salary to $60 million a year. In addition to that, he also has the option of owning a stake in the club once his playing time ends there. This contract took him up to the 2nd highest-paid footballer in the world, ahead of the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr. and only behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who is earning a whopping $260 million per year in Saudi Arabia. Not bad for a footballer at the dusk of his career.

Lionel Messi Stats for Inter Miami So Far

Despite only playing for less than 400 minutes in the 2023 season, Lionel Messi still showed his influence in changing the game just by his mere presence on the field. With Messi, Inter Miami had a win percentage of 50%, whereas they only won 21% of the ones without him. He also registered 10 goals in seven games in the League Cup, guiding Miami to a glorious trophy in just his first season at the club. 

In the 2024 season, however, Messi has been back to his best. He has scored 12 goals and assisted another nine in just 12 games in the MLS so far. In three games of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Messi netted two goals and had two assists to his name. At the time of writing, his overall tally for the season stands at an impressive 14 goals and 11 assists in just 15 games. 

Inter Miami, with him, sits at the top of the Eastern Conference and hopes they can win the MLS with perhaps the greatest footballer of all time. However, whatever happens, Messi’s legacy in the history of football will probably remain unparalleled.