Lionel Messi becomes only second footballer in history to achieve billionaire status after Cristiano Ronaldo | Football News

Lionel Messi has reportedly crossed the billion-dollar mark in net worth, becoming only the second footballer ever to enter the billionaire club after long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo. As per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, cited by Goal.com, Messi’s fortune has now surpassed $1 billion following years of massive earnings through salaries, bonuses, endorsements and investments. The Argentine superstar is estimated to have earned more than $700 million in wages and performance-related payments since 2007 alone. Unlike Ronaldo, whose financial empire expanded rapidly through an aggressive global branding strategy and his blockbuster move to Al-Nassr in 2023, Messi’s wealth growth has reportedly been more measured and carefully managed through long-term partnerships and family-led business decisions across Europe and the United States. The 38-year-old’s commercial influence has exploded further since joining Inter Miami CF in 2023. His arrival transformed football’s popularity in the United States, driving huge attendance numbers, worldwide attention towards MLS and increased interest from several European stars considering moves to North America. Messi’s cultural impact in the USA has now reached another level ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A township in New Jersey has officially named part of Sherman Avenue as “Leo Messi Way” in honour of the Argentine icon. The tribute comes from Berkeley Heights, a small town in Union County with a population of just over 13,000 residents. The initiative was approved through the BH FIFA World Cup 26 Task Force, a local group formed to build excitement and community engagement before the World Cup arrives in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year. Messi, who captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, will once again lead his country into the tournament in 2026. Argentina have been placed in Group J alongside Austria, Jordan and Algeria, with their opening match scheduled against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16.