Sportsmoney

Meet the billionaire who convinced Messi to snub $400m offer in Saudi Arabia

Billionaire Jorge Mas persuaded the world’s biggest soccer star to join a bottom-of-the-barrel team that’s languishing in last place in its league.

Now he needs to make it pay off.

With Lionel Messi and Apple Inc. on his side, the 60-year-old construction executive is seeking to upend the business of US soccer and make it a lot more profitable. The linchpin of his strategy was signing Messi to a contract that jettisoned a traditional cash-for-services agreement in favour of revenue sharing accords and an equity stake in the team — a dealmaking strategy closer to Wall Street’s playbook.

Mas’s vision is that the international superstar will lure millions of new subscribers to the Apple TV+ streaming service and attract top players to Major League Soccer. Messi will get a share of the windfall from any increase in international accounts for Apple TV+, while Mas’s Inter Miami soccer club is set to earn millions from increased ticket and merchandise sales. The rest of the league will see a knock-on effect from the hype around Messi, Mas’s theory goes.

“I have very high aspirations for Inter Miami, for MLS and for the sport,” Mas said in an interview Monday, a day after thousands of fans stood in the rain to see Messi don the Florida club’s uniform for the first time. “I’m all in.”

Of course it’s a risky proposition, with almost everything riding on a player who has had a tremendous career but is also getting old by his profession’s standards. The 36-year-old has seven Ballon d’Or titles, holds the record for most goals scored in a calendar year — 91 times in 2012 — and led Argentina to World Cup success in Qatar in 2022.

He’s coming to Miami after spending two years at Paris Saint-Germain, where in recent weeks he was on the receiving end of fans’ taunts over his performance.

Messi follows a tradition of ageing soccer champions that moved to the US, with mixed results. Brazilian legend Pele came out of retirement at 34 and spent three seasons with the New York Cosmos in the 1970s, while David Beckham left Real Madrid in 2007 to join the LA Galaxy. There were also Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba. And still, US soccer’s promised popularity boom failed to materialise.

But Mas is a patient man. Flanked by Messi’s jerseys and Henry Kissinger’s books at an office in upscale Coral Gables, Florida, Mas says it took more than three years to bring Messi to Miami.

Part of the pitch included selling Messi on life in Florida — Mas touted the opportunity of coming to a “country that’s hungry for soccer, where he could literally change the sport,” and closer proximity to his family in Argentina. But there were also big financial incentives.

Messi’s contract with Inter Miami runs through 2025, with a base salary of $20 million per year that could reach $60 million with bonuses. Upon retirement, Messi will receive a minority stake in the team.

He also has a deal with Adidas AG and a unique arrangement with Apple TV+ that will benefit him if the streaming service attracts international subscribers. Mas estimates Messi could bring in 2 million overseas accounts over 18 months. “There is no other player in this country that can have the impact globally that Leo Messi can have.”

Adidas declined to comment, saying it never discusses details of its contracts. Apple didn’t reply to a message seeking comment.

While there’s no final estimate on what Messi’s Miami package will ultimately be worth, it was enough to entice him from a much more straightforward offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. That deal would have earned him around $400 million annually, according to news reports.

The Apple TV+ service is using sports to attract subscribers, inking a $2.5 billion 10-year deal with Major League Soccer to show games on its platform. One of its most popular TV series, Ted Lasso, follows a fictional Premier League team headed by an American who had never coached soccer before.

In a way, it mirrors how Mas became a soccer tycoon by chance. Mas is the son of a Cuban immigrant, Jorge Mas Canosa, who became a leader in a movement to overthrow Fidel Castro. The family’s fortune comes from MasTec Inc., a $9.1 billion company that builds pipelines, fibre-optic networks and wind-farms across the US. Mas is the chairman and his brother the chief executive officer.

After a failed attempt to purchase the Miami Marlins several years ago, Mas bought out Beckham’s partners at Inter Miami, where his family now owns 80% of the team. Mas sees Messi changing the team’s fortunes, estimating its value could reach $1.5 billion within a year, compared to an estimate from Sportico of $585 million last year.

Mas plans to bring in a new investment partner and jersey sponsor, and has hired former Barcelona and Argentina coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino and midfielder Sergio Busquets. Inter Miami’s strategy is to mix late-career stars with young upstarts, he said.

Construction will soon begin on Inter Miami’s new Freedom Park stadium, which will seat as many as 25,000 fans. The privately-funded project has seen costs increase almost 40% from its original $1 billion, Mas said. It is slated to be completed in 2025, the last year of Messi’s contract, which has Mas holding out hope his star player will hang around for longer.

On Monday morning, Mas saw Messi doing a light practice for the first time, at Inter Miami’s current DRV PNK Stadium (pronounced “Drive Pink”) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “It was unbelievable,” he said.

For now, Messi will be living in the suburb, as he wanted to be “no further than 10 minutes away from the training centre,” Mas said. Messi fans have already began chasing him around Miami, even shadowing his supermarket strolls.

Mas said his biggest worry is that Messi wouldn’t be able to find schools for his three kids. After the pandemic made Miami a magnet for wealthy newcomers, securing a spot in one of the most prestigious private schools became next to impossible. Luckily, the Mas family had a long history of favours to call in and ended up finding them a spot.

“I wanted to make sure his landing here was as smooth, seamless as possible,” Mas said. “And I think so far, so good.”

Sportsmoney

REVEALED! 10 Highest Paid Footballers In 2024: Mbappe Drops Down, Messi Missing

Footballers have seen their wages skyrocket over the last few decades and a lot of clubs are willing to offer eye-watering contracts to big-name players.

While the Premier League and La Liga used to be the biggest spenders in terms of player wages, the Saudi Pro League have flexed their financial muscles in the last two years.

Note: All figures mentioned are before tax and don’t include any sponsorship and endorsement deals.

10. Kevin De Bruyne – £400,000-per-week
De Bruyne has enjoyed a trophy-laden career at Manchester City and is earning £400,000-per-week, making him the highest-paid player in the Premier League.

But his contract is due to expire at the end of the 2024/25 season and the 33-year-old has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, which would move him further up this list.

“At my age you have to be open to everything,” De Bruyne said. “You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.

“If I play there for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money. Before that I had to play football for 15 years. I may not even reach that amount yet.”

9. Ivan Toney – £407,708-per-week
One of seven Saudi Pro League players on the list, Toney left Brentford in the summer and completed a £40million move to Al-Ahli.

The 28-year-old striker got a substantial pay rise, going from just £20,000-per-week in England to £407,708-per-week in Saudi Arabia.

His contract makes him the highest-paid English player in the world, ahead of the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford.

He can also earn an additional £101,168-per-week in bonuses, taking his potential salary to £508,875-per-week.

8. Kylian Mbappe – £499,446-per-week
Mbappe joined Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer following the expiration of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain and immediately became the highest-paid player at the Bernabeu.

But he actually took a pay cut to secure his dream move, going from £1.15million-per-week in France to £499,446-per-week in Spain.

The France international does have a number of performance-related bonuses in his contract and can earn an additional £646,003-per-week.

His base salary will see him earn £25.9million-per-year and if he triggers all of his bonuses it’ll reach £59.6million-per-year.

7. Robert Lewandowski – £532,689-per-week
The highest-paid player in Europe’s top five leagues, Lewandowski joined Barcelona in 2022 and his contract was signed in a way which would see his salary increase year-on-year.

After earning £332,911-per-week in 2022/23 and £432,800-per-week in 2023/24, the striker is now being paid £532,689-per-week but he was willing to take a pay cut.

“He’s a player committed to the club and I can assure you of that,” Barcelona president Joan Laporta said.

“When he heard that we had to make some efforts to reach the Fair Play to register players, he told us he could lower his contract in order to help the club.”

“I really appreciate it, but I told him it wasn’t necessary. He’s very committed to the club and he’s also demanding with the team, with himself and with his teammates. We’ve gotten a good performance out of him and I’m sure that this will be Lewandowski’s best year.”

Robert Lewandowski has made a decision on his Barcelona future

6. Kalidou Koulibaly – £554,585-per-week
After spending the 2022/23 season at Chelsea, Koulibaly left Stamford Bridge and signed a three-year contract at Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal.

The centre-back is pocketing a reported £554,585-a-week in Saudi Arabia, making him the highest-paid defender in the world.

“I can’t deny it,” he said when asked about the money. “I will be able to help my whole family to live well, from my parents to my cousins, and support the activities of my Capitaine du Coeur association in Senegal.

“We started building a clinic in my parents’ village. I have many projects to help young people. I don’t like being on the bench doing nothing. I prefer to go where I am really wanted.”

5. Sadio Mane – £639,291-per-week
One of two Al-Nassr players on this list, Mane joined the Saudi Pro League side in the summer of 2023 after leaving Bayern Munich.

He signed a three-year contract and nearly doubled his salary, going from £351,610-per-week in Germany to £639,291-per-week in Saudi Arabia.

But the Senegal international hasn’t forgotten his roots and has reportedly put an estimated £1million into funding new schools and hospitals in Bambali.

4. Riyad Mahrez – £834,275-per-week
Mahrez won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup with Manchester City in the 2022/23 season before completing a £30million move to Al-Ahli.

“I was offered four years in Saudi Arabia, in a Muslim country where I can definitely protect (and provide for) my family,” he said. “There was also a new challenge, and a new project. So, I decided to leave, it wasn’t a big deal.”

The Algeria international is now earning £834,275-per-week and £43.38million-per-year, making him Africa’s highest-paid footballer.

3= Karim Benzema – £1.59m-per-week
After enjoying 14 trophy-laden years at Real Madrid, Benzema decided to join Al-Ittihad on a free transfer in the summer of 2023.

He was already on a lucrative £383,574-per-week contract in Madrid but the Saudi Pro League side took it to a whole new level.

The 36-year-old striker now earns £1.59million-per-week in the Middle East and is the joint-second highest-paid footballer in the world.

3= Neymar – £1.59m-per-week
Neymar left Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 and joined Al Hilal in a deal worth an initial £77.6million and another £8.4million in add-ons, making him the most expensive signing in Saudi Pro League history.

Alongside the transfer fee, Al Hilal also shelled out a significant pay packet as they are giving him a reported £1.59million-per-week.

The Brazil international was paid a total of £82.6million during his first year at the club but made just five appearances in 2023/24 after sustaining an ACL injury.

His contract is due to expire at the end of the 2024/25 season and has recently been linked with both Santos and Inter Miami.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – £3.19m-per-week
After joining Al Nassr on a free transfer in January 2023, Ronaldo regained his status as the highest-paid footballer in the world.

He put pen to paper a two-and-a-half-year contract worth in the region of £3.19million-per-week. That works out to an astonishing £12.76million-per-month and £165.8million-per-year.

“I came to win, to improve the league,” Ronaldo said when asked about his decision. “I want to leave a legacy. That’s what I want.

“They say I’m finished, that I’m only here for the money… but I still feel the passion. They don’t believe it, but I’m here to win.”

The 39-year-old striker has now scored over 75 goals for the club and helped them win the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023.

Sportsmoney

Jurgen Klopp’s Massive Net Worth, Million-Pound Spanish Mansion And Relationship With Wife

Jurgen Klopp has made a surprising return to football just months after his tearful goodbye from Liverpool. The German concluded his nine-year tenure at Anfield at the close of last season, passing the baton to Arne Slot.

His exit was met with heartfelt tributes from Reds supporters worldwide, who expressed their gratitude for his remarkable accomplishments in Merseyside, notably triumphs in both the Premier League and the Champions League.

Despite declaring that he would be taking a well-deserved break after leaving Liverpool, it took only four months for the 57-year- old to embark on his first new venture post-Anfield.

Express Sport provides an in-depth exploration of Klopp’s latest position in football, as well as his life within and beyond the sport where he has left an unforgettable imprint.

The German was unveiled as Red Bull’s new ‘Global Head of Soccer’ on Wednesday, signalling his comeback to football following his departure from Liverpool last summer. Although this new role deviates from his typical managerial responsibilities, he will undoubtedly have quite the job on his hands when he begins his new role on January 1st, reports the Mirror.

Klopp will supervise Red Bull’s network of clubs including Salzburg, New York Red Bulls, RB Leipzig and Red Bull Bragantino. While he won’t be engaged in the daily operations of individual clubs, his role will involve providing support to sporting directors to utilise his extensive footballing network to assist in scouting the sport’s top talent. He will also contribute to the training and development of coaches.

Immense net worth
Klopp boasts an impressive financial standing. Celebrity Net Worth estimates his fortune at a staggering £41.8million ($50million), placing him among the elite of the world’s highest-earning football managers.

Reports from Sport published that Klopp’s annual earnings at Anfield hit the £18.5m mark. Beyond his substantial managerial salary, Klopp has secured several high-value endorsement deals with brands such as Opel, Erdinger, VR-Bank, Snickers, Deutsche Vermogensberatung, and previously Puma.

Currently, he represents Adidas as an ambassador, frequently showcasing their gear on his Instagram profile.

Sportsmoney

How FC Barcelona Turned €0m Into €240m

Barcelona’s ability to develop talent through La Masia is paying off handsomely once again.

Over the past few years, three young talents—Pau Cubarsi, Lamine Yamal, and Gavi—have experienced remarkable surges in their market values, transforming the club’s investment of almost nothing into an astonishing €240 million.

These players have become some of the hottest young prospects in world football, showing just how vital La Masia is to Barcelona’s success on and off the field.

Pau Cubarsi – From €1.5m to €30m

Young defender Pau Cubarsi has seen his value skyrocket in recent months. Back in December 2023, Cubarsi was valued at just €1.5 million.

While this wasn’t insignificant for a young, unproven defender, his progression in the senior team and his outstanding performances have led to a massive jump in his value. As of today, Cubarsi is now worth an impressive €30 million.

The rapid rise in Cubarsi’s market worth is a testament to his solid defensive abilities and his adaptability. The 17-year-old has quickly cemented his place as a reliable option at the back for Barcelona.

His composure, vision, and defensive intelligence have caught the attention of scouts and managers alike, pushing his market value up at a phenomenal rate.

With his current trajectory, his worth is expected to rise even further as he becomes a regular for both club and country.

Lamine Yamal – Breaking records with €120m valuation

Arguably the most notable rise in value belongs to forward Lamine Yamal. His journey from promising academy talent to one of football’s hottest prospects has been nothing short of extraordinary.

By the time Yamal made his senior debut, he was valued at just €25 million, a decent figure for a teenager making his first steps into top-flight football. By December 2023, his value had doubled to €60 million, reflecting his growing influence in the team.

However, the real explosion in Yamal’s market value came soon after, with his current valuation sitting at a staggering €120 million. This makes him not only one of the most valuable young players in the world but also one of the most valuable players in general.

At only 17, Yamal is already being compared to some of the best forwards in the world, and his value will likely continue to rise as he continues to develop considering that Paris Saint-Germain are right on his tail.

Gavi – €90m despite injury woes

Young midfielder Gavi has also seen his market value grow despite having been sidelined for nearly a year due to injury.

When Gavi first burst onto the scene, like Yamal, he was valued at around €25 million. His breakthrough performances in midfield, showcasing a blend of aggression, technical ability, and leadership, quickly earned him a much higher valuation.

Today, Gavi is worth €90 million. This is particularly impressive considering his injury troubles, which have kept him off the pitch for an extended period.

Despite this, Gavi remains a highly valued asset for Barcelona, thanks to his previous displays and his potential to return even stronger.

His resilience, combined with his tactical understanding and energy in the middle of the park, makes him a vital part of Barcelona’s future.

Player valuations obtained from transfermarkt.com on the date of publication.