Lionel Messi net worth in 2026: Here's how much the Argentina and Inter Miami star earns from brand endorsements

Argentina forward Lionel Messi has been on fire at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament, having scored eight goals so far.

His latest exploits came in Argentina's round of 16 clash against Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday, when he assisted Cristian Romero's goal in the 79th minute before scoring the equaliser just four minutes later.

Argentina went on to win that match following a 92nd-minute header from Enzo Fernandez, helping them clinch a 3-2 win.

Messi currently leads the Golden Boot standings, albeit by just one goal, with France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland on seven goals and England's Harry Kane on six goals.

What is Lionel Messi's net worth?

According to Forbes, Messi's net worth is an astonishing amount of $1.1 billion. His career earnings exceed $1.8 billion.

The 39-year-old is one of just four athletes to surpass the billion-dollar mark while actively competing in the sport, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods and LeBron James.

The Inter Miami star earns roughly $70 million annually from off-field endorsements. Messi had signed with Adidas in 2006, and in 2017, he signed a lifetime contract with the apparel company. He receives an estimated base payout of $25 million per year from Adidas.

And under his current Major League Soccer (MLS) contract with Inter Miami, Messi receives a $25 million base salary, with guaranteed compensation of about $28.3 million.

Messi also earns between $5 million and $10 million per year from a core group of multinational brands, acting as their global brand ambassador, including partnerships with PepsiCo and Hard Rock International.

When the former Barcelona star joined Inter Miami in 2023, he signed a groundbreaking partnership with Apple, giving him a share of the revenue from new MLS Season Pass subscribers.

Through Apple TV's MLS Season Pass, the company gained 110,000 new subscribers on the day of Messi's debut match alone. The day before Messi's debut, there were just 6,143 subscribers for the MLS Season Pass. 

Messi is also the global ambassador of payments company Mastercard, and often appears in advertising campaigns during the UEFA Champions League, as he does for Adidas and PepsiCo.

The Rosario-born athlete has also featured as the face of Pro Evolution Soccer (now eFootball), a football video game developed by Japanese company Konami.

Messi began his club football career with Barcelona in 2000, joining the youth academy before making his senior first-team debut in 2004. He went on to win an unprecedented 35 titles with the Catalan side, including 10 LaLiga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles.

His contract with Barcelona expired on 30 June, 2021, and although both parties wanted to sign a new contract, Barcelona’s financial problems and LaLiga’s salary cap rules prevented them from doing so.

Messi thus became a free agent once his Barcelona contract expired, and joined French outfit Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021.

In international football, Messi has won two Copa América titles, and in 2022, he ended his long wait by lifting the FIFA World Cup with Argentina.