Throughout their illustrious careers, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been constantly compared, their paths seemingly intertwined. Making their professional debuts just 14 months apart, these soccer icons have scaled the heights of the sport. Together, they have amassed 13 Ballon d’Or awards, recognizing the world’s best player, and secured 10 Golden Shoe awards, honoring the top scorer each season.

For much of their careers, they found themselves on opposing teams, with Messi spending 17 years at FC Barcelona and Ronaldo enjoying nine seasons at Real Madrid. Their rivalry has spawned dedicated websites, even as Messi transitions to playing for Inter Miami in the U.S. and Ronaldo joins the ranks of Al-Nassr FC, a leading team in Saudi Arabia.

Fans are naturally intrigued by the earnings of these iconic players. Recently, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas shed light on Messi’s financial standing.

Greg Fiume/MLS via Getty Images

In a conversation with Bloomberg, Mas revealed that media rights account for just 2% of the club’s revenue—a stark contrast to the norm for major sports franchises. This necessitates a focus on securing substantial sponsorships and commercial ventures to fund player salaries.

“Sponsorships are crucial because players come with hefty price tags,” Mas explained. “I pay Messi—worth every penny—but his total compensation is between $70 and $80 million annually.”

While Mas didn’t provide a detailed breakdown of Messi’s earnings, the Major League Soccer Players Association’s salary guide reports that Messi receives a guaranteed annual compensation of $20,446,667. Additionally, Messi holds an ownership stake in Inter Miami, boasts a significant endorsement deal with Adidas, and benefits from a revenue-sharing agreement with Apple, the broadcaster of MLS games.

Messi’s arrival in Miami has also benefited the club. Inter Miami’s valuation of $1.45 billion is the highest in MLS.

His latest deal, which he signed last year, runs through the end of the 2028 season. Yet despite that very healthy salary, Messi is only earning about a third of what Ronaldo makes.

The Portuguese star announced in 2023 that he was joining Al-Nassr FC to play in the Saudi Pro League. He extended his deal last summer, so it now runs through 2027. That new deal pays Ronaldo a salary of 200 million Euros, which is about $230 million per year. That breaks down to over $19.1 million per month.

Though Messi and Ronaldo have seen their careers take different turns, both are still playing well on the pitch. And the excitement they bring to their clubs is worth the investment, expensive though it may be.