Lionel Messi made $156.4 million a year: How much are Barcelona offering Lamine Yamal for a contract extension?

Lamine Yamal has established himself as one of the best young footballers in the world. With five major titles to his name at just 17 years old, and turning 18 in July, he has already drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi, even on the financial side.

Following Barcelona’s successful season, in which they won the domestic treble of La Liga, the Supercopa, and the Copa del Rey, the club has made renewing Yamal’s contract a top priority. His current deal is set to expire in the summer of 2026.

According to reports from Jose Alvarez of El Chiringuito, Yamal’s new contract would make him the third highest paid player in Hansi Flick’s squad, with a salary between 7.2 and 8.3 million dollars per year, or 7 to 8 million euros. He would rank just behind Robert Lewandowski and Frenkie de Jong.

While that is a significant amount, especially for someone so young, it is still far from what Messi was earning before he left Barcelona in 2021. As reported by El Mundo, Messi’s last contract renewal was worth 555 million euros, translating to around 138 million euros per year ($156.4 million). He is the highest-paid player in the history of the club.

Lionel Messi was the highest-paid Barcelona player (Getty Images)

Laporta talks Yamal’s contract renewal

Laporta recently spoke with Catalan channel TV3 about Yamal’s renewal, saying the foundations of the deal are in place. He added, “But we are still waiting on the signature, so it is not done yet, even though everything points to a positive outcome for the club. Lamine is a great person, a big Barca fan. I think he is happy here.”

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In that context, Laporta made it clear that Yamal’s salary should reflect his importance on the field and that his age should not limit his earnings. “He is a special case, outside the norm, and needs to be treated accordingly,” Laporta said.

Lamine Yamal celebrates at the Clasico (Getty Images)

“All players follow a certain progression, but someone like Lamine, who has broken through in such an exceptional way, needs a different kind of approach,“ the Barça president added. He also emphasized the need to find a meeting point between the player’s goals and the club’s.

“What we want is to have Lamine Yamal with us for many years, and I believe that will happen,” he concluded. If the reports are accurate, the young Spaniard looks set to remain in Barcelona for the long term.