Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas has pulled back the curtain on the staggering financial package that keeps Lionel Messi in South Florida, revealing the Argentine icon takes home between $70 million and $80 million per year. The eye-watering figure, which includes the World Cup winner's ownership shares, highlights the unprecedented investment required to bring the eight-time Ballon d'Or recipient to Major League Soccer.The revelation comes as the Herons continue to transform the landscape of North American soccer both on and off the pitch. Messi, who arrived in the summer of 2023 and recently extended his stay through 2028, remains the comfortably highest-paid player in the history of the league. While his base salary and guaranteed compensation are public record through the MLS Players Association, the total package described by Mas incorporates various revenue streams that have turned the veteran playmaker into a literal partner of the franchise he represents.As the club prepares to move into its new Nu Stadium home, Mas emphasized that such astronomical costs necessitate "world-class" sponsorship deals to balance the books. "The reason that I need to have sponsors and for them to be world-class is because players are expensive," Mas told Bloomberg in a recent interview. "I pay Messi - worth every penny - but it's $70m to $80m a year. Across everything."This total far exceeds the $20,446,667 in guaranteed compensation officially listed by the MLSPA, which includes a $12m base salary. The discrepancy is accounted for by Messi's unique equity in the club and lucrative side-deals that have become the blueprint for future superstar arrivals in the United States. Beyond the direct payments from the club, Messi’s financial empire in Miami is bolstered by league-wide partnerships. The Argentine benefits from a massive endorsement deal with adidas and a ground-breaking revenue-sharing agreement with Apple, the league's primary broadcast partner. This multifaceted approach ensures that while Miami shoulders a significant portion of the burden, the entire ecosystem of American soccer contributes to the maintenance of its biggest-ever commercial and sporting asset.The signing of Messi was far from a spontaneous stroke of luck but rather the result of years of meticulous preparation by the Inter Miami hierarchy. Xavier Asensi, the club’s president of business operations, revealed that the organization was pivoting toward this moment as early as 2021. The club even drafted sponsorship contracts with specific clauses that would automatically trigger should a player of Messi’s legendary stature join the ranks."I don't believe in luck, I think the definition of luck is when preparation meets opportunity," Asensi told ESPN. "A real example is when we signed the main jersey sponsorship agreement in 2021. I included a clause stating that if the club signed a player who had won at least five Ballon d'Or awards, the sponsorship cost would double. That's in the contract. This is a 2021 contract. Therefore, it's proof. I mean, back in 2021, there were already contracts with clauses that mentally prepared the club and the structure in case Lionel potentially came here."Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingThe investment in Messi has yielded immediate dividends, propelling Inter Miami to a valuation of $1.45 billion. This 22 percent increase in value over just one year makes them the most valuable franchise in MLS history. Asensi is clear that while the marketing is vital, the financial growth is intrinsically linked to the trophies Messi has delivered, including the Leagues Cup and the Supporters' Shield, alongside qualification for the revamped Club World Cup.Reflecting on the transformative impact of the captain, Asensi noted that the change has been "night and day, black and white" for the Florida outfit. "Why have we grown? Because we've won," he explained. "Leo changes everything for the better, from one point of view. Since Lionel's arrival, we reached the US Open Cup final, won the Leagues Cup, won the Supporters' Shield, a record number of points, qualified for the Champions League, won the MLS Cup, reached another Leagues Cup final, reached the Champions League semifinals and qualified for the Club World Cup. I think it's quite obvious and evident that Lionel's presence on the pitch, along with everything that has surrounded him, has allowed the club to perform better, and this is what I told you before: As a football club, we depend on what happens on the pitch."