Mbappé vs Messi, more than a final collision

The two highest paid players in the world, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi will seek the third Cup for France and Argentina. It is a confrontation with sports and economic connotations, since their careers are promoted by an industry that also benefits from their results. A soccer star is a registered trademark with a return to the future

Kylian Mbappé, the centennial soccer star

Kylian has the highest market value at the 2022 World Cup at $170 million and represents 10.8% of the total valuation of Group F, which included Belgium, Croatia, Canada and Morocco. The French star signed a contract of 10 years and 187 million with Nike as long as he plays in a top-level league. The brand launched its first Mercurial shoe in December 2019. Winning the World Cup benefits Nike, as it also has an annual deal valued at 60 million to sponsor the French Football Federation. Nike has deals of various sizes with 13 nations in the 32-team field, the most of any apparel brand. As an entrepreneur, his production house Zebra Productions signed a contract with the NBA this year, and gives him rights to create content.

The guilt of all those who carry out the pain to achieve the result is to be sharpened.

Lionel Messi, a successful retirement

At the age of 35, Lionel Messi has carved out a career that, even if he no longer plays World Cup matches or if he leaves club competitions, will continue in the field of investment and entrepreneurship. The Argentine and the French striker, teammates at PSG in the French league, have the best salaries, according to Forbes Sports’ 2022 annual ranking. It is estimated that Mbappé, 23, will earn 128 million dollars for the 2022-23 season, a record for this annual ranking, while Messi will enter about 120 million.

In 2017, Messi signed a lifetime contract with Adidas, worth 1 billion, that is, he will earn 20 million per season with the contract alone. Messi also co-founded the entertainment startup Viki, linked to Rakuten for more than 200 million in 2013.