Lionel Messi will be the highest-paid player in La Liga for at least another year,
The Barcelona star underwent a brief holdout ahead of the 2020-21 season, looking to walk away from his contract at the club by way of a player-held termination clause. Barca refuted the validity of the clause, saying Messi invoked it after it had expired, setting up a standoff between the club and its most famous player.
Messi ultimately decided to honour the final year of his deal, meaning he'll stay at Camp Nou until at least June 2021.
As such, he'll collect on the final year of the richest contract ever given to a player in La Liga.
Given his stature in the game, Messi has amassed a fortune while dominating on the pitch. But how much is he worth? Let's find out.
What is Lionel Messi's salary?
The 33-year-old star signed a four-year deal with Barca back in Nov. 2017, and he's set to haul in €78 million for his services this season.
Messi and the rest of the Barcelona team took a 70 percent pay cut in 2019-20 to help the club cope with the loss of income due to the global coronavirus pandemic, and given that COVID-19 hasn't disappeared, it wouldn't be surprising if the Barca players again lower their salaries this season.
What is Lionel Messi's net worth?
With his endoresement deals and salary, Forbes estimates his earnings at €88 million, putting him fifth on its ranking of highest-paid celebrities for 2020.
Meanwhile, Celebrity Net Worth estimates Messi's net worth at €338 million.
What endorsement deals does Lionel Messi have?
As one of the best players to ever step onto a pitch, it's no surprise that Messi has several endorsement deals that pay him a king's ransom outside of his Barcelona earnings.
The Argentine has long been a face of sports apparel brand Adidas, and he also has lucrative deals with global brands Lays and MasterCard, among others. Forbes estimates Messi's combined endorsement earnings are roughly €28 million annually.
What other businesses does Lionel Messi have?
As one of the more private members of the celebrity elite, Messi has always kept a relatively low profile off the field. While he does have his endorsement deals, Messi seemingly hasn't branched out into many other ventures over the course of his career — unlike many of his peers.
That being said, he has invested in real estate in his native Argentina, and in 2019 he launched a clothing line and accompanying retail outlet in Barcelona.
Does Lionel Messi do charity work?
The Barca star has his own charitable organization — the Leo Messi Foundation — and he has long been active with UNICEF, for whom he was named an ambassador in 2010.
Additionally, Messi has helped lead a global initiative for the World Health Organization aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19.
How big is Lionel Messi's social media presence?
Being among the best-ever at the world's most popular sport is a guaranteed way to gather social media followers, and Messi has a lot of them.
On Facebook, Messi's 90 million followers trails only longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo among athletes of any sport. On Instagram, Messi's 166 million followers makes his the eighth most popular account of any kind on the photo-sharing site, trailing only the likes of Ronaldo, Ariana Grande and Dwayne Johnson.
Messi does not have a Twitter account.