Living next door to Lionel Messi is worth $25m! Inter Miami star’s neighbour reveals property price boom as 'everybody' wants to get near Argentine icon

The Argentine icon moved to the United States in the summer of 2023 after leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. He decided to go chasing the American dream at that point, with the decision taken to join Manchester United legend David Beckham at DRV PNK Stadium.

Messi, along with his wife Antonela and their three sons, initially rented a $9m (£7m) apartment, before then splashing out on a $10.75m (£8m) waterfront mansion in Fort Lauderdale. That property – which is spread over 10,500 square feet - boasts 10 bedrooms, a spa room, two boat docks, a swimming pool and a balcony that offers stunning views of the local skyline.

Patrick Bet-David - the American entrepreneur, author and financial adviser – is one of Messi’s neighbours, with team-mate Sergio Busquets not very far away in the same community, and he has told VladTV of the property boom in South Florida: “So far right now, according to today's climate, I've already made $25m of equity on the house I own. Messi just moved right next to my house. Everybody wants to be in our community. It's a gated community on an island with only one way to go, very safe, very protected. God willing it still is. Now that Messi is there everybody is fricking coming on their boats to look at the houses. We're doing okay.”

Messi also owns a luxury apartment in Miami and is reported to have two other condos in Sunny Isles Beach. He is currently enjoying a well-earned break back in his homeland, during the MLS off season, but will be back in the States early in 2024 as Inter Miami ready themselves for friendly dates with the likes of Newell’s Old Boys and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, before then looking to chase down more major honours after adding veteran Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez to their star-studded squad.