Summary
- Lionel Messi's unapproved Saudi trip cost him $1.7 million.
- Messi lost money but gained millions from Saudi Arabia.
- The suspension, fine, and contract implications were costly for him.
As one of the most famous athletes in the world, virtually everything Lionel Messi does garners attention. In fact, many of Messi's fans even talk about unconfirmed reports about him including whether he had an affair under his wife's nose.
On top of the rumors, many Messi fans like to talk about how rich he is. Fans that are interested in Messi's finances will be fascinated to learn how much money he was fined for an unapproved trip to Saudi Arabia.
This article will reveal what Lionel Messi did to have his football salary docked $1.7 million. The article will then look at how much money Messi will make from Saudi Arabia.
Lionel Messi Was Suspended And Fined $1.7 Million
After Paris Saint-Germain F.C. lost a game at home 3-1, Lionel Messi's bosses expected him to attend practice in the following days. Instead, Messi and his family flew to Saudi Arabia for a trip that would cost the famed athlete a lot of money.
The problem for Messi is he didn't get permission from his PSG bosses to skip practice with his teammates. As a result, Messi was suspended by the club's bosses for two weeks. Considering that Messi is a star player, a suspension like that is a huge deal.
Who were the highest-paid athletes in 2023, according to Forbes?
| Athlete: | Sport: | Salary: |
|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | $136 Million |
| Lionel Messi | Soccer | $130 Million |
| Kylian Mbappé | Soccer | $120 Million |
| LeBron James | Basketball | $119.5 Million |
| Canelo Álvarez | Boxing | $110 Million |
| Dustin Johnson | Golf | $107 Million |
| Phil Mickelson | Golf | $106 Million |
| Stephen Curry | Basketball | $100.4 Million |
| Roger Federer | Tennis | $95.1 Million |
| Kevin Durant | Basketball | $89.1 Million |
Not only was it morally significant that he was suspended for two weeks, Messi's punishment was very costly for him too. According to a Washington Post article about the suspension, Messi was suspended without pay. Given how incredible his contract was at the time, The Washington Post estimated that Messi would lose roughly $1.7 million.
At the time of the suspension, there was another aspect of Messi's trip to Saudi Arabia that was controversial.
What teams has Lionel Messi played for, according to Olympics.com?
| Team: | Tenure: |
|---|---|
| Grandoli (Argentina) | 1992 - 1995 |
| Newell's Old Boys (Argentina) | 1995 - 2000 |
| Barcelona (Spain) | 2000 - 2021 |
| Paris Saint-Germain (France) | 2021 - 2023 |
| Inter Miami (USA) | 2023 - Present |
At that time, it had been reported that Messi was leaving PSG. When Messi flew to Saudi Arabia, there were rumors that he signed with the Saudi Professional League club Al-Hilal. Messi's father, Jorge Messi, went on Instagram to deny those rumors with the following words that are translated from Spanish.
“There are always rumors and many use the name of Lionel to gain notoriety, but there’s only one truth and we can assure you that there is nothing with anyone. Neither verbal, nor signed, nor agreed, and there won’t be anything until the end of the season.”
Messi's father turned out to be telling the truth. After leaving PSG, Messi signed with Inter Miami.
At the time of the Saudi Arabia controversy, Messi publicly apologized for his unapproved two-day trip. In a video he posted as an Instagram story, Messi began by apologizing to his teammates and PSG.
“First of all, I want to apologize to my teammates and the club.”
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From there, Messi tried to explain why he thought his trip to Saudi Arabia was acceptable at the time. As Messi explained in his Instagram story, he didn't think the practice he missed was going to happen.
“Honestly, I thought we were going to have a day off after the game like we did in previous weeks.”
Messi also revealed that he'd planned and canceled a trip to Saudia Arabia once before. Messi finished by apologizing once more and stating that he was waiting to hear from PSG.
“I had this trip organized which I had canceled already; I could not cancel it again. I repeat: I want to say sorry for what I did. I’m waiting to hear what the club want to do with me”.
Lionel Messi Made Millions Of Dollars From Saudi Arabia
After Lionel Messi lost roughly $1.7 million thanks to being suspended for his trip to Saudi Arabia, The New York Times looked into his relationship with the country. Based on a report published by the outlet, Messi made tens of millions from a deal he struck with Saudi Arabia.
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After gaining access to the contract Messi signed with Saudi Arabia's tourism authority, The New York Times revealed the staggering details of the deal. According to the outlet, Messi was paid the equivalent of roughly $25 million by Saudi Arabia.
In 2017, Lionel Messi had to pay a fine that had nothing to do with his Saudi Arabia controversy. After it was found that he'd committed tax fraud, Messi agreed to pay a €252,000 fine to avoid a 21-month prison sentence.
The New York Times was also able to report on what Messi had to do to uphold his end of the bargain. Fortunately for Messi, the report claims that the superstar athlete didn't have to do very much for that money.
Based on the contract, The New York Times reported that Messi had agreed to appear in some tourism commercials for Saudi Arabia. Messi was also expected to take all-expenses-paid vacations to the country with his family and post about them on social media with Saudi-approved hashtags.
Messi's deal also dictated that the athlete couldn't say anything that would "tarnish" Saudia Arabia's reputation.
