Opinions, analysis and commentary
Right now, nobody. Jorge Messi ran every commercial thread of his son’s career alone for 25 years, and he died on August 8 without naming anyone to take his place. Barcelona and Newell’s Old Boys both paid tribute within hours. The portfolio he built stretches from a Spanish real estate trust to a billion-dollar Adidas deal, and none of it has a confirmed operator today. His brother Rodrigo is the closest thing to a successor, but that is an assumption, not an announcement.
Jorge Messi died on August 8, 2026, in a Rosario hospital at age 68, after being treated in recent months for an illness that was never publicly specified. Newell’s Old Boys called him the guiding presence who supported the career of the best player in the sport’s history, praising his vision and dedication. Barcelona thanked him for entrusting the club with Lionel’s earliest years and the most successful stretch of his career.
The timing added weight to the tributes. Argentina had just lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain, closing a tournament Jorge had watched his son play in as both father and business manager.
Neither club addressed the cause of the illness beyond confirming treatment had been ongoing for months.
The holdings Jorge oversaw span several countries and industries, and the table below captures the confirmed pieces as of August 2026.
The Messi Business Empire, Key Holdings August 2026
| Business Area | Description | Estimated Value |
| Real estate, Spain | Edificio Rostower Socimi, 7 hotels, shops, offices and homes, listed Dec 2024 | EUR223M (about $232M) at debut |
| Image rights and commercial | Adidas lifetime deal from 2017; Gatorade and Pepsi managed directly by Jorge | About $1B for Adidas alone |
| Gastronomic | VIP Rosario restaurant and other family food and beverage ventures | Not publicly quantified |
| US real estate | Fort Lauderdale mansion plus three Miami-area condos | About $15M or more |
| Investments | Messi Group and Play Time, sports, media and tech, with Razmig Hovaghimian | Not publicly disclosed |
Edificio Rostower alone accounts for close to a quarter-billion dollars, and the Adidas contract remains the single largest commercial agreement in the portfolio. Several pieces, including the Messi Group investment arm, carry no disclosed valuation at all.
The relationship that built all of this began in December 2000 at Barcelona’s Pompeia tennis club, when club director Carles Rexach signed a commitment on the only surface available, a lunch napkin, pledging the club would cover growth hormone treatment for a 13-year-old Messi. Jorge was in the room, and from that point on he became Lionel’s primary commercial counterpart through every major career move, including the transfers to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and Inter Miami in 2023.
That single signature turned into a quarter-century working relationship that outlasted three clubs and two continents.
Edificio Rostower Socimi, the Spanish real estate trust holding seven hotels, shops and offices, is the largest single identifiable asset at roughly $232 million. It listed on the Portfolio Stock Exchange in December 2024 with Limecu España 2010, the family’s holding vehicle, as its only shareholder. The Adidas lifetime deal signed in 2017 remains the biggest standalone commercial contract, valued at close to $1 billion, with Jorge personally managing separate agreements with Gatorade and Pepsi.
A 2016 tax evasion conviction in Spain, with both receiving suspended sentences under two years, showed how directly Jorge controlled image-rights income.
No public statement on succession has been made, and Limecu España 2010 stays the legal shareholder of Edificio Rostower regardless of who eventually takes over day-to-day management. Rodrigo, Lionel’s elder brother, has already been seen accompanying him to Argentina matches in an unofficial capacity, which makes him the most visible candidate for a bigger commercial role.
Lionel turns 39 in June 2027 and is nearing the end of his playing days at Inter Miami, which only raises the stakes on whoever takes charge next. That uncertainty is exactly what makes the Jorge Messi death Lionel Messi business empire question so pressing right now, since a 25-year operation built from a napkin pledge still has no one confirmed to run it.
Should a family member like Rodrigo take over Messi’s commercial empire, or does a portfolio this size need an outside professional running it? Tell us your take.
How did Jorge Messi die?
Jorge Messi died on August 8, 2026, at a hospital in Rosario. He was 68 and had been receiving treatment for an unspecified illness in the months before his death.
What businesses did Jorge Messi manage for his son?
He oversaw a Spanish real estate trust, restaurants, and major endorsement deals. The portfolio includes Edificio Rostower, valued at nearly $232 million, and an Adidas contract worth close to $1 billion.
Who is taking over Lionel Messi’s business affairs?
No successor has been publicly named yet. His brother Rodrigo has accompanied him to Argentina matches in an unofficial capacity, making him the most likely internal candidate for now.
What was the napkin agreement with Barcelona about?
Barcelona pledged to cover a young Messi’s medical treatment on a napkin. Club director Carles Rexach signed the commitment in December 2000 to cover growth hormone treatment for the then 13-year-old.
How much is the Messi family’s business portfolio worth?
Confirmed holdings put the value well above a billion dollars. The Adidas deal alone is estimated at near $1 billion, and Messi’s lifetime endorsement earnings have been put at $1.2 billion by 2023.
football
football