​Lionel Messi often seems unlikely to be a commercial powerhouse, in many respects. He’s reserved, even shy. In Argentina, the 39-year-old is routinely contrasted with Maradona, who lived boldly. Messi doesn’t tower over sports and culture the way Michael Jordan did. He lacks Muhammad Ali’s rhetorical brilliance or gravity, and he doesn’t possess Roger Federer’s effortless charm or looks. And yet, Messi has become a billionaire thanks to his brand.
He earned about $70 million on the pitch last year and roughly the same from endorsements. He may be reserved, but, to borrow a cliché, he lets his actions on the field speak for him. As the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer and perhaps the greatest to ever play, his value to sponsors lies in his association with genuine, epochal greatness.
To FIFA, which has crowded the 2026 World Cup with unprecedented commercial appeal, Messi is a goldmine. Messi and FIFA share many sponsors; both parties work with Lay’s, Lego, and AB InBev, among others. Yet Adidas stands out as the primary mutual commercial partner. Adidas’ deal with FIFA is estimated at about $800 million over its contract, which began in 2015 and runs to the 2030 World Cup. Messi’s lifetime deal with the German sportswear giant will reportedly bring the Argentina captain close to $1 billion.
Some of Messi’s more conspiratorially minded critics have pointed to overlaps between his financial interests and FIFA’s, especially given Argentina’s dramatic wins and refereeing calls that have drawn scrutiny. For instance, Argentina’s memorable 3-2 comeback against Egypt earlier this week drew remarks from Egypt’s manager, Hossam Hassan, who called the match “completely rigged.” FIFA’s chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, has rejected such claims. And given the heightened scrutiny from betting partners and anti-corruption groups, fixing a World Cup in the modern era would be nearly impossible.
Nonetheless, there is little question that it benefits FIFA for Messi to remain at the tournament in the United States, where Argentina faces Switzerland on Saturday. Consider how ticket prices surged after Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals. “We saw in 2025 that FIFA were bending over backward to ensure Messi’s Inter Miami could participate in the Club World Cup,” says Professor Kieran Maguire, a football finance expert at the University of Liverpool, in an exclusive conversation with HITC. “They will go to great lengths to have the global brands of football at their flagship events—the two most prominent brands being Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. FIFA even reduced Ronaldo’s suspension to facilitate his participation in the tournament.”
There is a clear tension between the commercial interests that bind Messi to FIFA and the integrity of the sport, but for now, the narrative remains: Messi’s ascent from a quiet, introspective star to a billion-dollar brand is a testament to his enduring impact on the game and the markets that surround it.