Some superstars make it easy for you to see, others not so much. To tune in and watch the great Lionel Messi play football isn't hard, lets be honest. All you have to do is sit comfortably on your couch and watch him play, either on a Saturday or Sunday night. To see what Messi does off the field is where the difficulty comes in.
Messi is a shy, humble and non-flashy man, yes his style of play on the field is incredibly difficult to overlook but off it...does Leo have the 'swagger'?. Why is Messi still considered 'The King'?, the truth is because he deserves it. Ring the bell and let me show you...
Messi is a shy, humble and non-flashy man, yes his style of play on the field is incredibly difficult to overlook but off it...does Leo have the 'swagger'?. Why is Messi still considered 'The King'?, the truth is because he deserves it. Ring the bell and let me show you...
INTRODUCING THE UNDISPUTED CHAMPION OF THE NOU CAMP...
THE CHAMP
Undisputed
From Roseria Sante Fe Argentina
26 Years Old
'The Flea' 'King Leo'
Lionel Andres 'Leo' Messi
Messi Messi Messi, the silent assassin should be his name. Perhaps because this man isn't as flash as CR7 or as sharp as DB, we assume he has no chance against these big hitters. That's where we are all wrong, Messi in his own charming way, sets trends for many to follow.
Lets start with the hair, now when a young Messi made his debut for Barcelona the first thing that struck the world was his hair. The long silky black/brown locks, without even thinking about how good he might be on the field, we were drawn to his hair.
Messi started with the the young teenage scruffy look, which captured the young target market. From then Messi transformed, looking more and more elegant with his locks. Without Messi knowing, the style spread to the masses and more kids started growing their hair. They were all hoping to replicate their hero, look like Messi maybe you will play like him.
Now Messi has transformed his looks, to a more conservative and elegant short cut. Showing his transition from youthful dazzler, to mature royalty.
Change is always a good thing and it didn't take the public long to warm to Messi's new look, it didn't bother anyone because his performances on the pitch just kept getting better. Perhaps parents around the world were happier too, suddenly their kids didn't want the long 'Spartan' look anymore.
Messi has not only grown well on the pitch, but off it too. In his early playing career Messi was a Nike based player. He was involved in a few projects but never really was seen as a major contributor to the brand. Messi wore a selection of boots, T90's, Tiempo's and Mercurial Vapors...perhaps Nike will see their lack of capturing Messi early on as major mistake, but Adidas were spot on to sign him up.
As seen in the picture above, Messi was part of the 'Joga Bonito' campaign. Messi's off the field team has been able to turn this boy wonder into a marketing machine, money makes the world go round.
Lionel Messi is the 10th wealthiest athlete in the world, the 26 year old footballer has a net worth of $41 million (According to Forbes). Considering that he is still only 26 and his source of wealth is generated predominantly from football, is staggering. Messi earns a cool £251 000 a week, (Including bonuses) Messi gets an extra 1.7 million. Nike offered Messi £120 000 a year to try persuade him to stay, but Messi and his team refused. Adidas came along and smashed out a £400 000 a year dea. Messi accepted and became the face of the famous F50 speed Adidas boot. The rest is history and now Messi gets a £2 million yearly salary from Adidas.
The Messi marketing ship doesn't anchor there, Messi has also been on the covers of Pro Evolution Soccer, but in 2011 the superstar moved to EA's world famous FIFA. There is no recorded fee of how much EA pay the star, but they are a major contributor to his off field endorsement deals which add up to a hefty $19 million (According to Forbes). Messi's other endorsements include Pepsi, Dolce & Gabanna, Turkish Airlines, Cherry, Audemars Piguet and more.
In 2013 Adidas launched his icon signature line in 2013. It is only the second time they have done so for one of their brand ambassadors (the first was with David Beckham).
Messi has not only transformed himself in the financial ranks, he has moved up in the fashion scene. In our fist glimpses of Messi fashion wise, he started off with the baggy jeans, t-shirt and a sport jacket. Messi now has a stylist and he/she is working their magic, Messi has now become more dapper and buying high end fashion threads.
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Leo has become a style icon, many thanks goes to his endorsement from Dolce & Gabanna. The Italians saw potential in Messi, when others couldn't. The little Argentinian does surprise those who don't see what he can do, Messi enjoys wearing his Dolce, Armani, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. He is certainly a well rounded style icon, he has grown in stature and become one of the top.
Messi's upgrade in style has landed him in a few major style & fashion magazines across the globe.
King Leo is a marketable figure, he sets the right examples on the field and off it. To be a true 'Off The Field' king you must set the best standards...always, Messi is one who does that. Marketability comes from good credibility and integrity. The big business's want to ensure their 'brand faces' are setting the right example.
Messi is ambassador for Unicef and contributes his time and finances to different charities and projects around the world.
He is a family man, still getting used to life as a father but genuinely seems to be enjoying it.
These are all the things that allows Messi to be so marketable. Of course a lot people will say its boring, they want someone like Ronaldo, flashy and in your face. Yes true this does sell, but a true king is watched on the thrown...not parading in the streets.
Now with the world in his hands, what does Leo spend all this money on?.
Messi is a fan of white cars, most of his vehicles have a white paint job. His favorite is the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale, he also has a Audi R8, Range Rover Evoque, Ferrari F430 Spider and others.
King Leo is what you would call the 'Secret Agent' of celebrities, he is hardly ever seen. When the little maestro is off the football field, he escapes the world's eye and enjoys his private time. His mason in Barcelona is incredibly difficult to see from ground level, well protected too.
The Argentine's other assets include several properties in his hometown of Rosario in
Argentina including the house he grew up in, an exclusive apartment, holiday homes and a massive compound for his family.
Messi isn't known for being a party man, but those close to him say that he is the life of a party.
On holiday Messi enjoys spending time with family as much as possible, but when he is able to get some down time, he often spends it with friends.
As the saying goes, ''Behind every successful man, lies a extremely gorgeous woman''. Meet Messi's childhood sweetheart Antonella Roccuzzo, a Argentinian model. The two have been happily together for a long time and as mentioned previously, she gave birth to their first child, Thiago.
Messi is certainly one lucky guy, the two spend as much time together as possible. Reports say Messi will be tying the note with his sweetheart very soon.
Thank you! Peace & Love
Messi is certainly one lucky guy, the two spend as much time together as possible. Reports say Messi will be tying the note with his sweetheart very soon.
Most athletes these days have seen the power of social netowrks, Messi and his team have also jumped on the ship. For someone who enjoys to keep his private life quiet, it must have taken a lot of convincing to get him to agree. If you would like to follow 'King Leo' on his various social media platforms, you can here.
- Facebook LeoMessi
- Instagram leo10messi
Well there you have it, the world's best player...'The King' of Barcelona, as we saw in the last edition Neymar put up a good fight, but Messi rules at the end of the day. Yes he may not be as flashy, but he makes it count where it matters. #OffTheFieldXT salutes you Leo, you do what you do well.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this series, as today is a special day in South Africa (The 18th of July) I would like to use this opportunity to wish Mr. Nelson Mandela a very happy 95th birthday and a speedy recovery. Thank you Tata! God bless you.
If you would like to follow me on Twitter you can do so here Denisao4
Thank you! Peace & Love
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