Lionel Messi has added a rather spectacular new asset to his life after football, or perhaps more accurately, his life alongside it. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has ordered a Sunreef ULTIMA 88, an 88-foot luxury power catamaran currently taking shape at the Polish builder’s state-of-the-art shipyard in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. “It’s a real pleasure to join the Sunreef family,” Messi said in a statement. “My family and I have always loved spending time at sea whenever we get the chance. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the Ultima 88 and enjoying it with my family.”
A Yacht Built Around Family Time
Measuring 26.8 metres, the ULTIMA 88 is designed with life at sea, rather than spectacle alone, firmly in mind. The layout includes a full-beam master suite forward and four guest cabins, giving the vessel genuine capacity for extended family stays rather than brief day trips. A spacious main salon offers seating and dining for eight, while the yacht’s signature feature, Sunreef’s Ocean Lounge, uses drop-down sides to bring guests directly to water level, perfect for swimming, water sports and simply lingering at the sea’s edge. A dedicated jet ski garage, generous outdoor lounging areas and an expansive flybridge round out a layout built for genuinely relaxed time on board, rather than constant movement between decks.
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Performance to Match the Presence
Beneath the comfort-focused layout sits real capability. The ULTIMA 88 is powered by twin 1,000-horsepower engines, delivering what Sunreef describes as a confident combination of speed and manoeuvrability, with a top speed in the region of 26 knots. The model can also be fitted with integrated solar technology, reflecting a broader shift among high-end catamaran builders toward more sustainable power options without sacrificing outright performance.
Joining a Growing Fleet of Sporting Owners
Messi’s order places him among a notable group of athletes who have turned to Sunreef in recent years, including tennis stars Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, who ordered the very same ULTIMA 88 model, two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso, and retired F1 driver Nico Rosberg. Sunreef Yachts founder and CEO Francis Lapp welcomed Messi to the brand, framing luxury not simply as ownership but as “the freedom to choose how to spend time with the people who matter most,” a sentiment that fits neatly with the yacht’s family-first design brief.
A New Flagship for MIM Ocean
Once delivered, the ULTIMA 88 will become the flagship of MIM Ocean, Messi’s Balearic Islands-based charter venture, a partnership between the footballer’s own hospitality experience through his MiM hotels in Spain and Andorra, and Med Cat Yachts, a specialist in catamaran sales and charter. The fleet currently comprises three Bali 5.4 sailing catamarans, MIM Ocean 1, 2 and 3, and while an official name for Messi’s new vessel has not yet been confirmed, MIM Ocean 10 would align neatly with the existing naming convention, while also offering a rather fitting nod to the number that has defined his career on the pitch.
For Messi, the ULTIMA 88 represents both a personal indulgence and a genuine business expansion, extending the family’s evident affection for time at sea into a flagship vessel guests will eventually be able to charter for themselves in the Mediterranean. It is, in every sense, a fitting next chapter: contemporary design, serious performance, and a Balearic backdrop built for exactly the kind of unhurried luxury Messi himself seems to be chasing off the pitch.
