Lionel Messi is not a new name in the world of football. 

People who do not watch football have heard about him and for millions of football fans around the world, Messi is the GOAT - greatest of all time. This is just their way of saying he is the best player in the world. 

While that is heavily debatable, of course, we have the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele, and even Messi’s countryman Maradona, among others who are contesting for the title, saying that Messi is one of the best players in the world is not up for debate. 

The status of being the best also translates to monetary value. That is why this article is on the profile and net worth of footballer Lionel Messi. 

Profile of Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who is currently playing for Inter Miami. He was born on the 24th of June, 1987 and has played for five teams in his years in football as a professional player. 

Here’s a brief breakdown of Lionel Messi’s profile: 

• Full Name: Lionel Andrés Messi

• Date of Birth: June 24, 1987

•  Place of Birth: Rosario, Argentina

• Nationality: Argentine

• Current Club: Inter Miami

• Position: Forward

• International Team: Argentina

Lionel Messi Club History

Many football fans will assume that Messi has only played for three clubs and they have reason to do so. 

The first time anyone heard about Messi was when he played for Barcelona. 

And since that revelation, he has only played for two clubs. But there are more - just two others that he played for before we knew who he was. 

Messi began his career in 1992 playing for Grandoli in Argentina, his home country. He played in Grandoli for three years that’s from 1992 to 1995. 

In 1995, he made a switch to Newell’s Old Boys another club in Argentina where he spent five years, leaving the club to sign for Barcelona in 2000. And this was where the legend started. 

From 2000 to 2021, Lionel Messi stamped his name in the history of football forever as he helped the club to win 35 trophies. 

Those were regarded as the golden era of the club - everyone was scared to play against Barcelona especially with Messi as their talisman. 

In his time at Barcelona, the Argentine won 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, 4 UEFA Champions Leagues, 3 FIFA Club World Cups, and 3 UEFA Super Cups.

This is a club record already and it is clear that no one could do this again for the club - maybe not yet or this generation. 

His time at Barcelona had to end due to financial and structural issues as Barcelona were unable to fit Messi’s new contract into their budget for the 2021/22 season despite the player agreeing to take a 50% paycut. 

This forced him to join PSG for the season and in his first stint with the French club, he lifted the Ligue 1 trophy. That same season, he won the Trophée des Champions also winning the World Cup for his country. 

Following on the season success, he capped his stay at PSG winning the Ligue 1 for the second time, winning a total of three trophies for PSG. 

He had to leave the club because PSG wanted to have a much younger squad as per a report from New York Times. And with three trophies to his name, there was no doubt the success he enjoyed at Barcelona was no fluke. 

Messi then joined Inter Miami in the United States. 

And clearly this was a very important move for the MLS because a player like Messi joining them meant they get to enjoy some global recognition. 

He is still at Inter Miami and he has won two trophies for the club which are the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield, which they give to the team that has the best season record. Just recently, he lost the 2025 League Cup which would have brought his tally to 3 trophies for the MLS side. 

Country History

Messi has done so well for the Argentine team from when he played the U-20 FIFA World Cup in 2005, a trophy he won. 

After the success with the U-20, Messi joined the Argentine first team and played in the 2008 Beijing Olympics where the team won gold. 

In 2021, Messi won his first Copa América. 

After his success, in the Copa América, Argentina played against Italy the UEFA Euro 2020 champion in the UEFA Cup of Champions also referred to as the Finalissima. They won Italy 3-0 to clinch the trophy. 

The climax of his time with the national team, which is the peak of any footballer’s career on the big stage - the World Cup - was won by Messi and his Argentine Army as they beat France on penalties in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

After the World Cup, Messi also won the 2024 Copa América and as we approach the 2026 World Cup, even though there are concerns about Messi’s participation, fans anticipate the player could make some appearances that will see him break the record for the most goals scored in the World Cup and maybe secure a second World Cup trophy.

Lionel Messi Net Worth 

As of early 2025, Lionel Messi's net worth is approximated to be about $650 million. 

This Lionel Messi net worth is based on the money he has earned from his career as a football player, his several endorsements, especially with Pepsi, and business ventures in Argentina and other parts of the world. 

Messi is one of the highest-paid athletes today as The Guardian reports with the striker reportedly earning $20,446,667, which is even more than all the payroll of the 21 MLS teams.