Messi set to earn up to $25mn a year without playing

Lionel Messi may have ended his international career with Argentina, but the football superstar’s income is unlikely to slow down—even if he eventually hangs up his boots for good.

The Argentine legend brought the curtain down on his international career on Wednesday (October 7) at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental, featuring for the Albiceleste against Benin. Messi leaves the national team having won virtually every major honour available, including the FIFA World Cup, two consecutive Copa América titles and a record eight Ballon d’Or awards.

However, Messi is not retiring from professional football just yet. He is expected to continue playing club football for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS).

Even after he eventually stops playing, Messi will continue to command enormous earnings through commercial ventures and endorsement deals. One of his most lucrative agreements is a lifetime partnership with global sportswear giant Adidas, signed in 2017.

Under the landmark deal, Messi is estimated to earn between $10 million and $25 million annually as an Adidas brand ambassador, regardless of whether he remains active on the pitch.

His No. 10 Inter Miami shirt has also become one of Adidas Football’s best-selling jerseys worldwide since his arrival at the MLS club. As part of his agreement with Adidas, Messi also receives a share of profits from sales of products and jerseys carrying his brand.

Beyond football, Messi’s income comes from major global sponsorship deals with companies including PepsiCo, Mastercard, Budweiser and Hard Rock Café, generating tens of millions of dollars annually.

His business interests extend well beyond endorsements. Messi has investments in the luxury MIM Hotels chain in Spain and Andorra, real estate through Edificio Rostower, and revenue-sharing arrangements linked to Apple TV’s MLS subscriptions and jersey sales.

He also holds a special agreement that could eventually give him an ownership stake in Inter Miami, while his investment firm, Play Time HoldCo, backs ventures in technology and startups.

For Messi, then, retirement from football would hardly mean retirement from earning—his global brand and sprawling business empire are already built to keep generating millions long after his final match.