Lionel Messi has spent much of his career making the impossible look strangely routine. Goals that seemed to violate the laws of physics, defenders left standing several metres behind him and trophies collected with the sort of regularity most footballers can only dream about. From Barcelona to Paris and finally Inter Miami, Messi built a legacy that goes well beyond statistics, culminating in the World Cup triumph with Argentina that finally delivered the one major prize missing from his extraordinary résumé. Now, as the 39 year old prepares to step away from football, the conversation naturally turns from what he achieved on the pitch to what he built away from it. Because behind the quiet personality and famously understated lifestyle sits a formidable luxury portfolio. His football salary, global endorsements, cars, watches, properties and business interests have turned Messi into one of the richest athletes in the world. So, as one of football’s greatest chapters approaches its final whistle, we take a look at the luxury side of Lionel Messi’s remarkable life.
A Garage With Some Very Fast Problems
Messi’s car collection is an unusual mixture of understated family transport and machines that appear to have been designed by people who consider the speed limit a personal insult.Among the cars associated with him is the Pagani Zonda Tricolore, a spectacular carbon fibre supercar reportedly worth around $2 million. Then there is the Ferrari F430 Spider, Maserati GranTurismo, Bentley Bentayga and Range Rover Vogue. His collection has also been reported to include an Audi RS6, Audi R8, Audi Q7, Cadillac Escalade and Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale.
The particularly interesting car is the 1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti, a legendary racing Ferrari whose value has been reported at extraordinary levels. Whether every valuation attached to celebrity car collections is entirely reliable is another matter, but the car itself is certainly the sort of thing that makes ordinary automotive depreciation look rather depressing. And then there is the Pagani Zonda Tricolore, which is perhaps the most appropriate car for Messi. It is not enormous. It is not trying to look like a tank. It is beautifully engineered, extremely fast and almost absurdly expensive. Much like the man.
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Messi’s Watches Are Serious Business
If the cars demonstrate Messi’s taste for engineering, his watches reveal something more interesting. He has accumulated pieces from Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Jacob & Co. and Hublot, with several directly connected to his career and status as a football icon. Some estimates put the publicly reported collection at more than ₹30 crore, although valuations vary substantially depending on the pieces included. Among the standout watches is the Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar, one of the most desirable sports watches in haute horlogerie.
There is also the Rolex Daytona Rainbow, whose multicoloured sapphire bezel makes the concept of subtlety somewhat theoretical. A particularly personal piece is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Leo Messi Edition, created around the footballer during his Barcelona era. Then there is the Jacob & Co. Epic X Chrono Messi, which takes the celebrity watch concept into the realm of bespoke mechanical theatre. Messi’s watch collection is therefore less about simply buying expensive objects and more about collecting pieces that connect horology with his career. There are complications, limited editions and watches that carry his name, which is probably what happens when you become one of the most recognisable athletes on Earth.
The Homes Are Even More Interesting
Messi’s property portfolio stretches from Spain to the United States and Argentina, with estimates of the broader portfolio running into tens of millions of dollars, while some valuations of his Spanish property and hospitality holdings are considerably higher. His most talked about American home is his waterfront mansion in Fort Lauderdale, reportedly purchased for around $10.8 million. The more than 10,000 square foot property includes ten bedrooms, a swimming pool, gym, spa and private dock. In other words, it is less house and more small resort that happens to have a family living in it. Messi also owns property at Miami’s Porsche Design Tower, where he reportedly paid around $5 million for a three bedroom oceanfront residence.
The building is famous for its extraordinary car elevators, allowing residents to take their vehicles almost directly to their apartments. There is also a property connection to the Regalia development in Miami. Then there is Castelldefels, outside Barcelona, where Messi owns the Mediterranean home that became his family base during his Barcelona years. The estate includes a swimming pool, gym, landscaped grounds and a private football pitch. It is the sort of place that makes the phrase “home training” sound rather more attractive. And in Rosario, Argentina, Messi has the extraordinary property known as The Fortress, a family compound featuring extensive amenities and a 15 car garage. Because apparently nine or ten cars would have been insufficient.
