Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas revealed that captain Lionel Messi is paid between $70 million and $80 million a year, including the player's ownership shares, as Mas explained the team's need to maximize sponsorship deals and additional forms of revenue.
Earlier this week, Miami signed a deal with Brazilian financial services company Nu, which will have the naming rights for the team's new stadium near Miami International Airport.
Nu Stadium, a 26,700-seat facility that remains under construction, is scheduled to play host to its first match April 4.
"The reason that I need to have sponsors and for them to be world-class is because players are expensive," Mas told Bloomberg in an interview published Friday. "I pay Messi -- worth every penny -- but it's $70 million to $80 million a year. Across everything."
Messi is the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, earning a base salary of $12 million with a guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667, according to the salary guide released by the MLS Players Association.
ESPN has reported that Messi also benefits from other revenue streams, such as his endorsement deal with Adidas and a revenue sharing agreement with league broadcast partner Apple.
After joining the club in summer 2023, Messi signed an extension with Inter Miami last October that runs through the end of the 2028 season.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Xavier Asensi, Inter Miami's president of business operations, revealed preparations to capitalize on the potential arrival of the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner began long before Messi announced his intention to join the club.
"I don't believe in luck, I think the definition of luck is when preparation meets opportunity," Asensi told ESPN.
"Things happen, or you can make them happen, but you have to be prepared for when they do. Well, I think we see exactly that here. Lionel's arrival isn't random; there's work behind it, a strategy and a plan to make it happen. It's the American concept of 'aim for the best, be ready for the worst.'
"You aspire to the highest level, and then, once you're there, you try to do things before, during and after to maximize the impact it can have.
"A real example is when we signed the main jersey sponsorship agreement in 2021. I included a clause stating that if the club signed a player who had won at least five Ballon d'Or awards, the sponsorship cost would double.
"That's in the contract. This is a 2021 contract. Therefore, it's proof. I mean, back in 2021, there were already contracts with clauses that mentally prepared the club and the structure in case Lionel potentially came here."
Inter Miami's record contract with Messi is paying off. The club stands as the most valuable MLS team, worth $1.45 billion, according to Sportico.
The outlet also reported that Inter Miami's valuation rose 22% in one year.
"Why have we grown? Because we've won," Asensi said.
Asensi said that Messi's impact on the financial aspect of the team is "night and day, black and white," emphasizing that without his on-field contributions, the club would be in a different position.
"Leo changes everything for the better, from one point of view," he said. "Since Lionel's arrival, we reached the US Open Cup final, won the Leagues Cup, won the Supporters' Shield, a record number of points, qualified for the Champions League, won the MLS Cup, reached another Leagues Cup final, reached the Champions League semifinals and qualified for the Club World Cup.
"I think it's quite obvious and evident that Lionel's presence on the pitch, along with everything that has surrounded him, has allowed the club to perform better, and this is what I told you before: As a football club, we depend on what happens on the pitch."
