Despite Michael Jordan Earning $231,000,000 More From Shoe Endorsement, Lionel Messi Poises to Overtake ‘Richest Athlete’ Crown

Perhaps the greatest footballer of all time, Lionel Messi saw his Inter Miami career take off in glorious fashion. Miami was tied 1-1 against Cruz Azul. In the 94^th minute, the Argentinian produced a trademark freekick to win his first game for the side. On the occasion, Twitter user Andrew Petcash posted a thread explaining how Messi has a chance to become the richest sportsperson of all time. The title is currently held by Michael Jordan, who has earned around $256,000,000 via his Nike deal in 2022 alone. Messi, on the other hand, earns around $25,000,000 yearly from Adidas. However, his plethora of other investments and a hefty Inter Miami contract is expected to help him overtake MJ.

Messi signed a complicated deal with Miami, with an overall annual salary of $55 million. Additionally, he also has clauses for various bonuses and has been given equity in the team. This is set to take his earnings up to around $80,000,000. The financials of the contract are so complex that Petcash ended up posting a breakdown of the numbers.

Lionel Messi tipped to overtake Michael Jordan as richest sportsperson of all time

The sheer private nature of Messi’s overall earnings means that he might already be earning more than Michael Jordan on a yearly basis. Still, Jordan has been a global phenomenon for more than 2 decades, which has helped him take his overall net worth to more than $3 billion.

As far as Messi is concerned, he is known to have earned $122 million last year. A number of investments have since been made by the Argentinian. According to Andrew Petcash, this includes a real estate business, his earnings from Inter Miami, and a further $50 million from his endorsements.

His Inter Miami deal is also expected to have a profit-sharing clause for jersey sales, with Messi expected to generate over $100 million in this category. Furthermore, his Adidas deal, a crypto endorsement, and his clothing brand earnings also account for around $50 million yearly.

Andrew Petcash believes Messi is on path to overtake Jordan

The Twitter thread explains how Messi is well on the path to overtaking Jordan in due time. Of course, MJ’s lifetime deal with Nike alone ends up earning him more than $200 million every year. Hence, while there is no doubt that Lionel Messi will one day overtake MJ, there is still quite a bit of time for that to happen.

Information about a major part of Messi’s fortune has been kept private. Petcash’s thread focuses on the recent increases in earnings that Messi has registered. Overall, his net worth is currently estimated to be $600 million.

Hence, it might take him a few more years to actually come near MJ. Jordan not only has a $3 billion net worth but has also recently sanctioned a $3 billion sale of the Charlotte Hornets.