DailyTransfer

Mercato PSG: Messi's huge salary at Inter Miami

03/07/23 10:09 by Fabien Borne

Although Al-Hilal offered him more than 400 million euros a year, Lionel Messi will still earn a very good living at Inter Miami, as owner Jorge Mas has confirmed.

Co-owner of Inter Miami with his brother José and David Beckham, Jorge Mas spoke to Spanish daily El Pais about the arrival of Lionel Messi at his club. Jorge Mas announced that Lionel Messi would earn between "$50 and $60 million a year" in MLS. At PSG, his salary was estimated at 40.5 million euros gross per year.

In addition to a very attractive salary for a 36-year-old player, Messi has also negotiated a stake in his future club when he retires, and a share of the profits from MLS worldwide broadcasting, the rights to which are held by Apple TV, as well as from the sale of his team's Adidas jerseys.

Jorge Mas also spoke about the negotiations with Lionel Messi, who was being courted by Saudi club Al-Hilal, who offered him more than 400 million euros a year, as well as by FC Barcelona, his beloved club. It's a long-term deal for the Miami franchise.

"Messi can make MLS one of the two or three biggest leagues in the world".

"The seduction phase was long, almost three years with a very intense year and a half," confided Jorge Mas. There were a lot of conversations with Jorge (Messi's father and agent). I knew it was done at the end of May. David (Beckham) was talking to Leo, purely about soccer, because he was playing (for PSG). I didn't want him to feel under pressure. We spoke in Barcelona, Miami, Rosario, Doha... I spent the whole World Cup in Qatar, watching Argentina. The Apple TV contract was very important in closing the deal."

The Inter Miami executive went on to confirm that the family aspect had been very important for Messi: "There's a very important family element. Messi will be in his hemisphere, almost in the same time zone as Rosario. It was more important to sell him the idea of soccer in the United States. It's the biggest commercial market on the planet. Messi can make MLS one of the two or three biggest leagues in the world."

According to Jorge Mas, Lionel Messi is set to make his debut for Inter Miami on July 22 against Mexico's Cruz Azul in the League Cup. In addition to Sergio Busquets and new coach Tata Martino, Inter Miami plan to recruit "two or three" other key players to surround the Argentine. In particular, Jorge Mas has confirmed talks with Spanish left-back Jordi Alba, who has been available since leaving Barça.

Inter Miami