Owner, businessman & player: Messi has big plans as a golden era ends

Newell’s will remain inactive because it is one of the sixteen academies competing in this year’s Messi Cup. Owning clubs is one of Lionel Messi’s passions; youth football is the other, a fact demonstrated by his regular attendance at his son’s matches and at the tournament itself. He channels his wealth and time into an Under‑16 academy competition that launched in 2025 with eight teams. Last year organizers anticipated his presence at only one or two games, perhaps the final, yet he attended every match each day to everyone’s surprise. This year the field doubled to sixteen sides, with the opening round held on 25 October at Inter Miami’s facilities in Florida. Participants include Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Arsenal, UE Cornella and several others. Beyond the pitch, Messi’s business interests help explain why Forbes estimated his net worth at roughly $1.1 billion in June, with about $140 million earned over the preceding twelve months, split between football and commercial ventures. His most prominent endorsement remains the Adidas contract he signed in 2017. The most visible component of his portfolio is MiM Hotels, a collection of six boutique properties stretching from Ibiza to Andorra that Melia has operated under a rental agreement since 1 November 2025. The brand derives its name from Messi and the Majestic hotel group, and the properties are managed as part of Melia’s Collection. In Rosario, Messi’s family firm has invested in Carrasco M, a development of 24 homes along the Paraná River; Ángel Di María’s sales office handles the transactions. He is also a partner in the restaurant chain El Club de la Milanesa, which intends to open five outlets in Catalonia, the first in Castelldefels. A collaboration with drinkware giant Stanley marks the brand’s inaugural multi‑year agreement with an athlete; Messi contributed his views on materials and colour schemes. The entrepreneurial side of his career began with his father. Jorge Messi, who passed away in August at age 68, oversaw his son’s affairs from the outset, and some of his early counsel later entangled the family with Spanish tax authorities. The enterprise subsequently expanded into television production, marketing, media and commercial partnerships, all well‑established by the time Jorge’s health deteriorated. Messi places confidence in the individuals who run these ventures—several have been with him since his early Barcelona days—and a rigorous vetting process ensures he only considers proposals he finds acceptable. He dictates the terms of his engagement with the business world, and no external party imposes conditions on him. Speaking at the America Business Forum in Miami last November, Messi said, “Business is thing that interests me. I would similar to support learning due to the fact that I cognize thing and I americium conscionable starting out.” The portfolio assembled by his inner circle is already substantial, and he continues to seek additional football‑related opportunities to sustain the momentum.