Lionel Messi is a name no one would be unfamiliar with. Whether you are a football fan or not, you would know him anyway.
Soccer player Lionel Messi is regarded by many as one of the most gifted players to ever take the field, as is evident by the seven Ballon d’Or awards he has won, the most ever given to one person in the award’s history.
In the world of FIFA, the enormous level of status is accompanied by an equal amount of huge revenues.
Before joining Paris Saint-Germain last year, the Argentine sportsman spent 20 years playing for Barcelona, where he set a record for goals scored by a single club. He was named Forbes’ highest-paid athlete in 2019 and 2022.
Messi has undoubtedly made good use of that money, amassing a collection of high-end vehicles, taking vacations in homes that rent for $10,000 a night, expanding his hotel business, and, of course, making investments in several opulent homes.
We include a few of the soccer star’s noteworthy real estate transactions during his career below.
Who Is Lionel Messi?
Lionel Andrés Messi, frequently referred to as Leo Messi is a well-known football player who was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. His parents are Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini.
As a child, Messi used to play football with his elder brothers and was never intimidated by their older friends. Recognized for his skills at the young age of 8, he was enlisted to join the youth system of the Rosario-based club, Newell’s Old Boys.
While he displayed excellent soccer expertise, due to his short stature, Messi was inevitably diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at the age of 11.
His parents agreed to administer nightly growth hormone injections, but it soon became apparent that they would not be able to afford the costly medicine every month, and the local clubs were not able to pay for the treatment as well.
Hence, at the age of 13, when Messi was offered to train at the soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, by the director, Carles Rexach, who also promised to pay for his treatment, it was inevitable that Messi and his family relocated to Spain from Argentina.
Although Messi frequently missed his hometown, he was able to quickly make his way up the junior ranks of the team. At the age of 17, Messi became the youngest footballer in FCB history to score a goal.
Messi played for FC Barcelona for 17 seasons before he joined Paris-Saint Germain for two seasons. In 2023, he announced that he would be joining the MLS’ Inter Miami Club.
Messi’s Net Worth and Achievements:
- Messi beat Cristiano Ronaldo by two votes to win the Ballon d’Or as the finest soccer player in the world for a record seventh time in 2021.
- In August 2021, he moved from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, leaving the only professional home he had ever known.
- Messi was entitled to earn up to $165 million per year in salary and bonuses, according to a contract leak from January 2021, proving he was making much more money at Barcelona than was previously believed.
- He agreed to receive $20 million a year in endorsement fees from the fan engagement app Socios in March 2022.
- In 2019, he established his own clothing brand and opened his first store, the Messi Store, in Barcelona. He has a lifetime contract with Adidas as well.
Messi’s House
Having spent most of his time in Barcelona, it makes sense for that city to be Messi’s main base of operations. Messi lives there with his wife Antonella, his three kids, and two dogs.
Around 2009, Messi decided to settle into this upscale Bellamar neighborhood, which is roughly 25 kilometers southwest of Barcelona. Since then, there has been tremendous growth and reappraisal of the area.
An average home in Bellamar has a listing price of around $6 million. And if Messi’s mansion were to be sold today, it would be priced at around $7 million. But back in 2009, Messi purchased it for $2 million and then spent millions more to renovate and adapt his abode to his taste.
At just 19 kicks away from the Camp Nou football stadium and with his training center in close vicinity, it’s likely that his home’s location had a lot to do with Messi’s purchase.
In terms of the actual home itself, it features open terraces and expansive windows that overlook a mesmerizing view of the rolling Catalan Hills and the blue waves of the Mediterranean Sea.
The outdoor space includes a barbecue pit and dining area in addition to a massive garden that surrounds the entire property and a small playground for his three young children to have some fun with.
The outdoor space also houses Messi’s very own soccer pitch, where he practices his craft daily and tries to break his records.
Inside the home, a Mediterranean theme is present throughout. The decor consists of wooded floorboards, brightly painted walls, and panoramic glass windows.
Floral wallpaper and wall colors are abundant, while the general color scheme varies between different shades of beige and brown, including chestnut tone floors and dark brown and light walnut furniture.
This basic, uncomplicated decoration gives the home a comfortable and contemporary vibe. The mansion also houses a gym, spa, private theatre, and a swimming pool.
As nice as Messi’s home is, it does not come without its controversies. For one thing, the entire home is situated in a “no-fly” zone despite being situated extremely close to an airport.
Rumor has it that Messi used his influence with the local government to ensure that was the case to safeguard his privacy. Others have pointed out that his house is situated in an area that is home to endangered fauna and flora, which makes the home “off-limits” to people.
It is reported that the neighboring house to Messi’s mansion has also been bought by him. This is because the neighbors were proving to be a nuisance for him and his family as they rented the house to tenants who were quite noisy people.
To overcome that problem, he bought them out, hence safeguarding his privacy even more.
It has also been reported that apart from this mansion, Messi also purchased another house on the outskirts of Rosario, his hometown, so that he could return home as he liked.
There isn’t a picture of the house anywhere online, and the details of the house are also a closely guarded secret. It is understandable because most of the football star’s family lives there, and hence he would want them to be safe and not harassed by the public.
One small detail revealed here was that the house is situated on the banks of the Pirhana River.
Here’s a brief about all the properties Messi has owned to date.
| Year | Location |
| 2009 | Castelldefels, Barcelona |
| 2017 | Four-star hotel in Sitges, Catalonia |
| 2019 | Oceanfront condo in Sunny Isles Beach, Miami |
| 2021 | 9th floor of the Regalia, Miami |
| 2022 | A massive estate in Rosario, Argentina |
Conclusion
- Lionel Messi is one of the most loved and revered soccer players around the world.
- Although, as a child, he battled a deficiency that threatened to prevent his way to success, he did not let it demoralize him.
- Instead, he worked harder and proved to the world that when you put your mind to something, nothing in the world could prevent you from achieving it.
- Along with having remarkable field skills, Messi also has a majestic real estate portfolio to boast.
- One of his many splendid properties is a mansion in Barcelona where he lives with his family.
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