Lionel Andres Messi is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time. In addition to his stellar playing career, the player has also been involved in various business fields. As a football legend, he has conquered the entire football world, and as a serial entrepreneur, he continues to leverage his fame with future business ventures. Let’s take a look at Messi’s huge business empire off the pitch to see how successful El Pugna has been and is.
Messi’s multimillion-dollar hotel chain includes water sports, golf, polo and luxury yacht rentals. For example, the $26 million four-star hotel in Barcelona has 77 rooms with panoramic ocean views, and costs up to $144 a night. There are also multimillion-dollar hotels in Spain, Sitges, Ibiza, Mallorca, Baqueira and Andorra.
Lionel Messi Fashion Store
According to Sports Bible, Messi launched an exclusive fashion and merchandise store with Tommy Hilfiger’s sister Ginny in 2019. The e-commerce store, called The Messi Store, will offer sportswear, men’s clothing, and women’s clothing.
The clothing line also features limited editions with Messi’s exclusive signature. Messi models and promotes the brand on social media. Meanwhile, Richard James, his personal tailor for Savile Row, has also collaborated with the Messi Store to create a collection of high-end suits.
Football Academy
The legendary footballer is set to set up his own football academy in the village of Garraf, Culemania, Catalonia. The Messi Foundation is working to create a 20,000 square meter football training academy, complete with two pitches, changing rooms, parking areas and accommodation.
L10 Wine
Messi has also created an exclusive collection of top-notch wines called L10 wines, which feature fruity, aromatic wines. For example, the L10 Malbec has ripe red grape flavors and violets, while the L10 Premium Malbec has rich plum, cherry, vanilla and chocolate flavors. The collection of fine wines is curated and produced in collaboration with the Messi Foundation, with a portion of the proceeds going to support education and health for disadvantaged children.
Playtime Sports Investment Company
Venture capitalist Razmig Hovaghimian, Messi’s longtime business partner, is behind San Francisco-based sports investment firm Playtime. The primary motivation for founding Playtime was to fund soccer technology companies or invest in teams. Playtime has invested in two soccer-based startups: Matchday.com, an interactive gaming website, and AC Momento, a marketplace app. Messi has pledged to make unique investments through this futuristic technology investment after he retires.
Messi Experience Park
The $200 million Messi Experience Park (MEP) is a high-profile collaboration between MediaPro Exhibitions, Phoenix Group and Messi Management. It is a lavish project spanning 9 hectares in China that includes hotels, residential areas, a virtual reality dome, a flying theater and dark sightseeing experiences.
Visitors will also enjoy Messi-related football activities and extreme sports with advanced technology. The main attraction is a 12,000m2 amusement park with landscape and 25,000m2 public space.
Partner with Jacob & Co.
According to Forbes, Messi has signed a lucrative contract with luxury watch brand Jacob & Co. In 2019, the brand launched its first exclusive limited edition series in collaboration with Messi: the Epic X Chrono Messi.
This 180-watch series includes a $150,000 diamond-set version of the Epic X Chrono. The rare collection features features like the Argentine flag color scheme and a 10-minute marker on the dial offset in red to represent Messi’s lucky jersey number.
Lifetime agreement with Adidas
According to The Sun, Messi has signed a lifetime contract worth $10 million a year with sportswear giant Adidas. The German sportswear company has chosen the legendary footballer as the face of their brand. In 2015, Messi became the first footballer to launch an Adidas sub-brand, in an exclusive, luxury collaboration – Adidas Messi. These special edition sneakers have been sold worldwide in Adidas stores since 2017.
Currently, soccer player and billionaire Messi still enjoys a huge salary playing for the rich French club Paris Saint-Germain and collaborating with A-list brands. And Messi’s multi-million dollar business projects continue to increase his net worth, which is estimated at up to 600 million USD.
