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.
