In modern times, Lionel Messi has become not just a football player, but a whole business that brings in huge profits. According to Forbes magazine, the Argentine earns about $65 million each year from advertising, in addition to generous playing conditions in the United States. His club, Inter Miami, pays him a base salary of $12 million plus guaranteed compensation of $20.4 million. However, the main incentive for Messi to move to the United States was the lucrative bonuses from league partners such as Apple and adidas, which together bring him up to $50-60 million annually.
Messi skillfully monetizes all his assets, be they present, future or past. For example, in December 2023, he sold a set of six T-shirts that he wore at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at Sotheby’s for $7.8 million. Messi is now planning to sell the napkin on which he signed his first contract with Barcelona at the age of 13. Perhaps this will help him break the record for sales of football artifacts held by his idol, Diego Maradona.
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England’s Steve Hodge mishandled the ball in the area, allowing Maradona to score with his hand
The most popular events at the world championships are not only the games, but also individual episodes that are remembered for many years and become real legends. In 2022, FIFA released a list of “100 Great World Cup Moments” in which Diego Maradona’s actions at the 1986 World Cup, including his famous handball goal against England, were ranked ninth. In this match, the Argentine scored two goals – the first with his hand (which the official arbitration panel missed, for which they were banned for life from refereeing tournaments under the auspices of FIFA), and the second after running across the field.
“It was probably one of the most brilliant moments in the history of football to escape its creator,” said England defender Terry Butcher after the match. This episode became known as “The Hand of God”, although, surprisingly, Maradona himself never called it that. At a press conference after the game, the Argentine joked: “The ball was scored partly by the hand of God, partly by Maradona’s head.”
Steve Hodge deliberately waited so long and did not sell Maradona’s T-shirt
Hodge later said that seeing his jersey included in the football museum’s collection was an amazing feeling for him. He noted the poor quality of the T-shirt, which was purchased from a sporting goods store in Mexico City, as Argentina’s official tournament uniform was not suitable for the local climate. Despite attempts by the Argentines to buy it or receive it as a gift, Hodge decided to keep the shirt as part of his collection of match memories.
Hodge cited the sale of Pele’s jersey in 2004 for a large sum as one of the reasons why he decided to keep his jersey. He decided that over time its value would only increase. To maintain interest in this artifact, he loaned it to the National Football Museum of England.