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On June 7th, Lionel Messi announced that his next, and perhaps final, move in football would be to move to the USA and join Inter Miami. The Argentinian’s exit from PSG was confirmed just last week when Christophe Galtier confirmed that the 35-year-old would leave the French capital at the end of his deal which sparked rumours of his next destination.
He was reportedly on the verge of agreeing a move to Saudi Arabia for mega money, while there were also reports linking him with a return to Barcelona. In the end, though, Messi has decided that his future lies in Major League Soccer (MLS) at the club part-owned by David Beckham.
Considering the status of Lionel Messi, and the eye-watering numbers he was offered by Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, it is expected he will be earning more than a healthy wage in Miami. However, just how much is he going to be on and what other perks have been included in the deal to get the ex-Barcelona man stateside? Let’s take a look.
How much is Messi’s Inter Miami contract worth?
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Messi has reportedly signed a two-and-a-half year deal with Inter Miami with a further 12 months on the table in 2016 if both parties are happy with how things have gone. The two-and-half-year deal is said to be worth up to £120m which has been made possible due to contributions from Adidas and Apple.
Both companies sponsor MLS and there are even reports that Messi will receive a portion of the profits generated by the two companies during his stay in Miami. Messi could also be offered an ownership stake, similar to the deal that David Beckham received when he arrived in the league back in 2007.
The deal will make Messi the highest-paid player in the division by some distance, overtaking Xherdan Shaqiri who earns around £6.5m per year at Chicago Fire. Next on the list is ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid striker, Javier Hernandez, who earns £6m per year at LA Galaxy.
The details of Leo Messi's proposed contract with Inter Miami 👀 pic.twitter.com/Y1maX1UC0f
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 8, 2023
Will Lionel Messi earn more than Cristiano Ronaldo?
Despite his hefty deal at Inter Miami, Lionel Messi will still be on significantly less than Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar remains the highest paid football on the planet with his £177m per year deal at Al-Nassr with Karim Benzema now the second-highest paid player in the world after his move to Al-Ittihad.
How is Messi’s contract already paying dividends?
The Lionel Messi effect is already being felt in Miami with the club’s following on social media going through the roof since the deal was announced. Prior to the announcement, the club had 900,000 followers on Instagram, however, that figure now stands at 6.7m followers.
It means that Inter Miami now have more followers on Instagram than any other MLS, NFL, NHL, or MLB team. They are also closing the gap on NBA outfit, Boston Celtics, who currently boast 7.5m followers on the platform. They are still a long way away from the LA Lakers, however, who have more than 22m followers on Instagram.
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