Lionel Messi is now able to officially refer to himself as a part of the Inter Miami team after the club announced that they had signed the Argentine superstar and World Cup champion to a contract. The footballer, who is now 35 years old and once played for the French superpower Paris Saint-Germain, made the decision to sign with a club in the United States that is located in the city of Miami after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain came to an end.
According to a number of rumors, Lionel Messi turned down an offer from the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal that was worth more than $400 million in order to sign a contract that was less lucrative for him in Miami. He inked a contract with the Major League Soccer team that will see him earn over $54 million in salaries alone over the course of the next two and a half seasons combined. In addition to this, he will be entitled to a portion of the revenues made by the deals he has signed with well-known companies such as Apple and Adidas.
Not only has Messi’s arrival in Miami brought a breath of new air with it, but his massive deal has also raised comparisons with other established players who are currently playing in Miami across the NFL and the NBA. Messi’s contract is considered to be among the most lucrative in the league. Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins and Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat are both the highest-paid players for their respective teams, but how does their compensation stack up against that of Lionel Messi?
As much as Lionel Messi, how much do Tyreek Hill and Jimmy Butler play?
After having a very fruitful stint with the Kansas City Chiefs, Tyreek Hill negotiated a trade to the Miami Dolphins in 2022. This came about as a result of his outstanding performance during his time spent with the Chiefs. Hill became the highest-paid wide receiver in the history of the National Football League after signing a contract with the organization for a total of $120 million over the course of four years.
Hill will make $30 million each year, which is a substantial amount less than what Lionel Messi would earn in his first year in the United States. Hill will receive $30 million annually. The year that Hill’s contract is up, he will be eligible for the maximum compensation, which will add up to a total of $43.9 million. This is more than $10 million less than the soccer star’s annual salary. Therefore, Hill might be the fastest player in the NFL, but he has a long way to go before he can match Messi’s level of financial earnings. Messi earns significantly more than Hill does.
Another one of Lionel messi’s compatriots from the same city is Jimmy Butler, who is also the highest earner of the miami Heat franchise. Butler signed a four-year extension worth a gigantic $184 million in 2021, in a deal where his salary will increase annually. in 2023-24, Butler is all set to earn $45,183,960, which also falls short of messi’s $54 million salary alone in wages.
Butler, however, will come very close to matching the Argentine World Cup winner in his final year of contract cometh 2025-26 season, when he will take home a salary of $52,413,394. Therefore, despite receiving cash-rich deals themselves, both Tyreek Hill and Jimmy Butler are not the highest-paid players in miami after the arrival of the soccer GOAT. in fact, messi has now become the highest-paid player in all of the United States, following his blockbuster move.