December 18, 2022 marked a great milestone in Messi’s career, when he and Argentina defeated France in the World Cup final. The Argentine star completed his collection of titles to become the greatest player in history.
In the tournament held in Qatar, Messi shone with 7 goals in 7 matches. Including a brilliant performance in the final with a double against France, especially the equalizer 3-3 in the 108th minute. It was also Messi who successfully executed the first penalty in the nerve-wracking match against Kylian Mbappe’s team (Argentina won 4-2 in the penalty shootout).
At the time of the 2022 World Cup (November-December 2022), Messi will still be playing for PSG. According to transfermarkt.com, Messi’s transfer price in December 2002 was 50 million euros. However, the 37-year-old player is currently valued at only 20 million euros. This is the lowest valuation that transfermarkt.com has given to Messi. At the peak of his career, Messi was valued at 180 million euros in May 2018.
Of course, the valuation of statistical sites is only relative. With Messi, the difference with reality is even greater. No team can own Messi at this time for only a few tens of millions of euros. Although past his prime, the Argentine player is still the most attractive name in the football world, synonymous with huge commercial value.
It is important to note that Messi currently receives a fixed salary of around 18 million euros per year at Inter Miami. Adding bonuses and shares from sponsorship contracts and shares of the American team, the Argentine player earns no less than 120 million euros per year at Inter Miami. Therefore, it is not wrong to say that Messi is still one of the most expensive players in the world.
At the age of 37, Messi still showed convincing form in the 2024 season with 23 goals after 25 appearances at Inter Miami. The former Barcelona and PSG star also won 2 titles in the US including the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield. Most recently, Messi was voted MLS Player of the Year for the 2024 season.
