The Messi Effect: How One Superstar's Salary Reveals a Broader Trend in Professional Sports Lionel Messi's new contract with Inter Miami has sent shockwaves through the world of professional sports, but its significance extends far beyond the Argentine superstar himself.
On closer inspection, the news that Messi will earn $28 million per year in base salary alone reveals a more nuanced story about money, power, and the business of professional athletics.
The numbers are striking: Messi's new contract has doubled his base salary from $25 million to $28 million per year.