Lionel Messi calculatedly prepares his retirement from football » What businesses does the Argentine superstar invest in
Article by Alexandru Stanciu – Published Tuesday, February 17, 2026 9:06 p.m. / Updated Tuesday, February 17, 2026 9:22 p.m.
At the age of 38, Lionel Messi, the winner of 8 Ballon d'Ors, is already involved in numerous businesses, from real estate to wines and from clubs to a chain of restaurants.
Lionel Messi attended the “American Business Forum” event, where he admitted that football “has an expiration date” and that he wants to devote himself to business once his career ends.
Lionel Messi and the businesses with which he prepares his retirement from football
“I had a very long sports career and I still have it. I've always had reliable people around me who took care of all this, but lately I've become much more interested in what is being done and what can be done. I like to start seeing what can be achieved.
The business world attracts me, I want to continue learning. I am a beginner in this field. I have always dedicated myself 100% to my profession, but I know that something else is coming, another world, and slowly I am starting to get involved”, Messi said during his participation in the event, according to Forbes.
Over the last few years, Lionel Messi has founded various companies, participated in various new projects as a partner and invested in various sectors, such as sports, real estate, gastronomy or drinks.
The first steps taken by the world champion were in founding “The Messi Store”, a store of clothing and official products bearing his signature.
In parallel, the Argentine created the “Leo Messi Foundation”, which carries out social action projects. Messi also founded a football club, Leones de Rosario FC, which will debut this year in the fourth division of Argentine football.
Messi founded the club with his family, and his brother Matias serves as president. His sister, Maria Sol, is a member of the council, and his nephew, Tomas, is a censor.
Lionel Messi has also turned his attention to Uruguay. Last May, the Argentine joined him as a partner at Deportivo LSM, a project developed by his colleague, Luis Suarez.
The business world attracts me, I want to continue learning. I am a beginner in this field. I have always dedicated myself 100% to my profession, but I know that something else is coming, another world, and slowly I am starting to get involved.
– Lionel MessiInter Miami soccer player
Lionel Messi's strategy also includes the audiovisual sector. In September 2024, the Argentine launched “525 Rosario”, a production house dedicated to the creation of its own content for social networks.
Also, in December this year, the “Messi Cup”, a junior tournament, will be held in Miami.
Messi is also active in the hotel sector, where he bets heavily through “MiM Hoteles”, a chain present in various locations in Spain and Andorra, such as Sitges, Ibiza, Mallorca, Baqueira, Andorra and Sotogrande.
In all of them, elements related to his image are replicated, such as the “Messi Apartment”, but also exhibitions with the Ballon d'Or won throughout his career.
Recently, Lionel Messi became one of the partners of “El Club de la Milanesa”, a chain of restaurants with more than 70 locations.
In addition, he launched a line of hydration drinks called “Mas+” developed with his family. The brand is designed for both daily consumption and sports activities.
In the field of viticulture, the Argentine star launched a wine collection in partnership with MM Winemakera winery in Genoa. The bottles, which bear his face, are available under three distinct labels: “Lionel Goat 10”, “Titanium” and “Lionel Diamond”.
Lionel Messi has extended his deal with Inter Miami until the end of the 2028 MLS season, thus consolidating his central role in the South Florida sports project, being positioned as one of the key figures in the inauguration of the team's future arena, “Miami Freedom Park”.
I am very happy to stay here and continue this project which, besides being a dream, has become a beautiful reality!
– Lionel Messithe footballer of Inter Miami
According to Forbes magazine, Lionel Messi ranked 2nd in the list of the highest paid athletes in 2025, when he collected income of 130 million dollars: 60 million from sports activity and 70 million from commercial contracts.
Messi earns an annual salary of $20.4 million, composed of a base salary of $12 million and bonuses worth $8.4 million. According to the owner, if you add the income from partnerships, such as the one with Apple TV and from the sales of Adidas T-shirts, the total amount can reach up to 60 million dollars a year.
