La Liga club, Barcelona are still paying Argentine legend, Lionel Messi more than two years after he left the club and will continue doing so until at least 2025.
Messi famously left Barca in tears in 2021 after the Catalans failed to offer him a new contract that would successfully allow them to navigate Financial Fair Play Limits.
His deal which expired on June 30 of that year, is believed to be the highest-paid sports contract of all time. El Mundo reported that Messi reportedly agreed to receive €555,237,619 (US$604.2 million) over four seasons if he met a series of conditions.
Despite not playing for the club for two years, Lionel Messi is still getting paid by Barcelona and is owed money right up until 2025.
Speaking to La Vanguardia, Barcelona President Joan Laporta said;
“What is owed to him is the deferral of the salary bill that was agreed with the previous board and that produces pending payments that end in 2025. He is paid religiously.”
Barcelona had previously claimed that Messi’s decision to reject a return to the club in favour of a move to Inter Miami stemmed from a desire to step away from the spotlight, but Laporta doubled down on that claim.
He said;
“We had an agreement with La Liga that we would dedicate part of the resources we have to Messi. It was contemplated within the feasibility plan.
“Let him do very well [in Miami] and we will begin to prepare his super tribute. Within the framework of the 125th anniversary and when we return to the Camp Nou it would be perfect.”
With his PSG contract now officially expired (as of June 30), Messi is an Inter Miami player and the Leagues Cup home game against Cruz Azul on July 21 could be his first outing for his new club.
He signed a wo-and-a-half year contract said to be worth between $125m-$150m (£100m-£120m) with Inter Miami.
