Soccer Star Lionel Messi Expands His Global Brand With New Production Company

Todd Karpovich

Lionel Messi is taking his international brand into family households.

The famous soccer star has launched a content company called 525 Rosario— named after the Inter Miami captain's birthplace in Argentina—that will develop and produce television shows, films, and live sports broadcasts, as well as sponsor community events. The company will also partner with athletes in various countries to create branded content and advertisements, which could boost revenue.Messi created 525 Rosario as a joint venture with Smuggler Entertainment, which produced documentaries on him called " Messi Meets America " and " Messi's World: The Rise of a Legend " for Apple TV+.It's a perfect extension for one of the most recognized athletes in the world. He joins NBA players Lebron James and Stephen Curry and NFL players Peyton Manning and Tom Brady , among others, who have created their own production companies.

"The goal remains to inspire and connect with people around the world in a completely new way, and we are looking forward to this venture," the Messi family said in a statement. "We would like to continue advancing in the entertainment sector, bringing new initiatives and productions with global reach through innovative storytelling, programming and experiences."

The production company makes sense because the 37-year-old Messi is preparing for life after professional soccer. He announced in June that his last stop on his decorated career would be with Inter Miami, which currently has the best record in Major League Soccer ."I've done this all of my life; I love playing ball. I enjoy the training, and the day-to-day, the games. Yeah, there's a bit of fear that it's all ending. It's always there. It was a difficult step leaving Europe to come here [to Miami]," Messi told ESPN Argentina on June 12. "Today, I think [Inter Miami] is going to be my last club."

Messi has also kept ties to his roots through his soccer career.

Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina, and joined FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, at age 13. He made his competitive debut for the Spanish powerhouse at age 17 and evolved into one of the most famous and talented in the history of international soccer.Messi led Barcelona to 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey championships, and four UEFA Champions League trophies. He s cored 709 goals in 837 matches for Barcelona.He is a national hero in his native country after leading Argentina to the Copa América championship in 2021 and the FIFA World Cup title in 2022. At the World Cup, he scored seven goals, including two in the final against France, and broke the record for most games played at the prestigious tournament with 26.After a brief stint at French club Paris Saint-Germain from 2021 to 2023, Messi moved to Inter Miami , co-owned by fellow international soccer star David Beckham, for a contract worth just over $20.4 million a year. He expanded his empire by securing profit-sharing deals with Apple TV, MLS's primary global broadcast partner, and sports apparel company Adidas.

In the past year, Messi has dealt with various injuries that could prompt a decision on whether to continue to play professional soccer after this season. Messi suffered a right ankle injury during a 1–0 victory over Colombia in the Copa América final on July 14.

That injury also kept him out of MLS action until Sept. 18, when he entered as a second-half substitute in Inter Miami's 2–2 draw against Atlanta United , which drew 67,795 fans at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, because of his potential return.