Lionel Messi is one of the most recognisable figures on the planet, with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner establishing a reputation over the course of spells at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain that has allowed his celebrity status to transcend sport.
He is a marketing dream, given his profile around the world, and has worked on some of the most lucrative contracts that football has ever seen – with leading sides in Spain and France prepared to spend big in order to benefit from his remarkable skill set.
Who, though, manages Messi’s career behind the scenes and fills an agency role that allows the all-time great to prosper on the field? GOAL takes a look...
Who is Lionel Messi’s agent?
Messi’s path to the very top of the global game started out in humble beginnings in Rosario, Argentina at local side Grandoli.
His father, Jorge, coached the precociously-gifted talent at that stage, before a step up was taken to Newell’s Old Boys.
GettyAt 13 years of age it became clear that Messi was going to require hormone injections for a growth deficiency disorder and, despite not being poor, his family realised that assistance was going to be required in footing those bills.
Jorge reached out to Barcelona and organised a trial for his son in Catalunya, becoming his representative in the process.
Neither could have imagined what the future would hold at that stage, but Messi has always been close to his father and trusts him implicitly to look after his best interests on and off the field.
Jorge told Kicker in 2013: “(Leo) always followed what I said to him as his coach.
"Even today he is still like that. He has never told me, 'I’m grown up and the best player in the world'.
"The other day I mentioned a couple of things to him. I’m still the same as a father as when I was his coach at Grandoli."
The Messis famously signed a deal with Barcelona on a napkin, with that agreement said to be worth £120,000 a year while the Liga heavyweights also agreed to take care of any medical costs.
A meteoric rise was enjoyed from that point, with a senior debut at Camp Nou taken in by the talented youngster in October 2004 – shortly after agreeing a first professional at the age of 16.
Those terms were thrashed out by Jorge, who went on to oversee several more renewals before a final deal with Barca was signed in 2017 that was reportedly worth just under £500 million ($654m).
Another lucrative agreement was put in place when bidding an emotional farewell to Catalunya in 2021 and packing bags for a new adventure in France.
Messi’s terms at PSG are said to be worth €30m a year (£25m/$33m) across his debut campaign at Parc des Princes and €40m (£33m/$44m) in any seasons after that – with a €15m loyalty bonus also reportedly being paid out on an annual basis.
It remains to be seen how long the mercurial South American will stick around in the French capital, after becoming a target for terrace taunts, and there is already talk of Jorge reaching out to Barca regarding a possible retracing of steps.
Does Jorge Messi have any other clients?
Jorge has helped to oversee the construction of a Messi brand that now extends into just about every corner of sporting, retail, sponsorship and gaming life.
The family also have three ‘MiM’ branded hotels in Sitges, Ibiza and Mallorca – although those establishments are managed by the Majestic Hotel Group.
In football circles, Jorge’s time is taken up ensuring that Lionel’s every whim is taken care of, with there little opportunity or need for him to get involved with anybody else.
Rodrigo Messi has, however, sought to enter the football agency game by becoming an advisor to young players seeking to tread a similar path to his famous brother.
He did spend time working with La Masia graduates during Lionel’s time at Barcelona and publicly billed himself as Ansu Fati’s agent before another home-grown star at Camp Nou joined the books of Jorge Mendes’ agency in 2020.