The Messi economy: Life after Argentina is still big money for the 'Little Magician'

There is a curious thing happening with Lionel Messi. The footballer has retired from international football, but the brand is getting bigger.

At an age when most sporting superstars begin to retreat from the centre of the commercial universe, Messi remains one of the most recognisable faces on the planet. The Argentine may no longer be at the peak of his physical powers, but for the world's biggest brands, that has done little to diminish his appeal.

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If anything, two decades of extraordinary football, a World Cup triumph and his move to the United States have transformed Messi from a sporting superstar into something considerably more valuable, a global commercial identity.

The Messi premium

The numbers surrounding individual endorsement contracts are often closely guarded, but the breadth and longevity of Messi's commercial portfolio tell their own story.

Adidas, Pepsi, Mastercard, Gatorade, Lay's and Hard Rock are among the major brands that have built campaigns around him, while his name has travelled far beyond the traditional football categories into technology, hospitality, lifestyle and entertainment.

The reason is not simply that Messi is famous. For brands, he represents a remarkably potent combination of global recognition, sporting excellence, longevity and relatively low controversy. His public persona has generally been quieter than that of many of his peers.

That makes Messi a particularly attractive proposition for marketers.

A brand borrowing his image is not merely buying eyeballs. It is borrowing the associations built around him over two decades — precision, excellence, consistency, humility and winning.

Adidas and the making of an icon

Perhaps nowhere is that transformation more visible than in Messi's relationship with Adidas.

The partnership began in 2006 and developed into one of the most recognisable athlete-brand relationships in sport. Over the years, Messi has had signature boots, apparel lines and global campaigns built around his name.

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One of the highest level of sports endorsement is when the athlete stops being just the face of the product and becomes part of the product's story itself.

For a football brand, there are few stories more powerful than Messi's — the boy from Rosario who became one of Barcelona's greatest player, collected individual honours at an extraordinary rate, endured years of international disappointment and eventually lifted the World Cup.

Every time his name appears in a campaign, the brand gets access to that history.

Then Messi came to Miami

The most interesting chapter in Messi's commercial story, however, may have begun after he left European football.

When Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023, the move was widely viewed as a landmark moment for Major League Soccer. Commercially, it was something more as it showed a test of what happens when one of the world's most recognisable athletes enters a market where his sport still has enormous room to grow.

His presence brought international attention to Inter Miami and MLS, while his commercial ecosystem intersected with companies such as Apple and Adidas. The MLS Season Pass partnership with Apple was particularly significant because Messi gave a relatively young football audience in the United States a compelling reason to seek out the league.

Selling more than football

That is also why Messi has become useful to brands that have little to do with football itself. Mastercard can use him to talk about connection and shared experiences. Pepsi and Lay's can place him inside mass-market entertainment. Gatorade can connect him with performance. Hard Rock can use his global celebrity to extend into hospitality and lifestyle.

The product changes. Messi's underlying proposition does not. That portability is one of the biggest assets in his commercial armoury.

A footballer with a narrower public persona may be hugely valuable to a sportswear company but difficult to translate into other categories. Messi's image, by contrast, has become sufficiently universal that he can move between products without the association feeling entirely artificial.

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And then there is the simplest advantage of all, which is his recognition. In much of the world, the Messi name requires no explanation.

A story consumers already know

Celebrity endorsements are usually built around attention. Messi brings attention, but he also brings a ready-made narrative. Consumers know which story he is going to sell.

They know about Barcelona. They know about Argentina. They know about the rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo. They know about the heartbreak of losing international finals. They know about the Copa América triumph. They know about Qatar and the World Cup.

The brand does not have to introduce Messi. It simply has to decide which part of the Messi story it wants to borrow, which translates to an enormous commercial advantage.

And it explains why his value has proved remarkably resilient even as the footballer himself moves towards the twilight of his playing career.

What happens after football?

This is perhaps the most intriguing question surrounding the Messi brand. Athletes inevitably retire. Brands, however, do not necessarily retire with them.

Messi has already begun building a commercial identity that can exist beyond match results. His partnerships, businesses and investments give him a platform that does not depend entirely on whether he starts, scores or wins on a given weekend.

The young Messi sold potential. The peak Messi sold performance. The World Cup-winning Messi sells legacy. That final category may prove to be the most durable of all.

A brand featuring a 20-year-old Messi had to tell consumers why they should believe in the next superstar. A brand featuring Messi today can sell something different, the memory of watching one of the greatest players in football history.

The brand that may outlive the footballer

This is ultimately what makes Messi unusual in sports marketing. His commercial value is no longer entirely tied to his sporting output.

He has spent so long at the top that his name has accumulated something most endorsement deals cannot manufacture — cultural memory. The footballer has an expiry date. The records will eventually stop. The goals will eventually stop. The stadium appearances will eventually stop.

But the Messi brand does not have to.