A seismic shift has occurred in the grand tapestry of the American sporting landscape. While Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James ruled before as the highest-paid athletes in the nation, that torch has now passed from the hands of gridiron warriors and basketball phenoms to the feet of a soccer sensation. World champion Lionel Messi has crossed the Atlantic to claim that crown with his jaw-dropping signing with Inter Miami. But do you know the value of this deal?

The whopping contract details for the Argentine superstar emerged this week. And it certainly towers over the NFL and NBA contracts for Mahomes or LBJ. So how much is Lionel Messi scheduled to make in this historic MLS chapter of his career?

Lionel Messi surpasses Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James in contract value

The former Barcelona and PSG star created shockwaves with his signing with MLS’ Inter Miami this offseason. Messi chose Florida over a return to his childhood club, FC Barcelona, and a billion-dollar multi-year deal with the Saudi league. And while David Beckham’s Inter Miami hasn’t been able to match the Saudi offers, the lucrative deal in MLS is enough to secure the top spot for LM10 in future earnings among US athletes.

Lionel Messi will earn an annual salary of $54 million from Inter Miami. While the $440 million Gulf offer stood taller in monetary value, Messi’s deal comes with more perks. The soccer sensation will also earn a fraction of the television rights revenue in the MLS and Apple’s joint venture. Being an Adidas-sponsored athlete, Messi will also receive a percentage of all replica shirts sold in the league. This will take LM10’s total annual salary earnings in the $65 million range, as per the Miami Herald.

LBJ earns an annual salary of $48.5 million as part of his 2-year $97 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. Kansas City Chiefs QB1 Patrick Mahomes, on the other hand, rakes in an annual salary of $45 million as part of his 10-year $450 million contract.

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And this is not the first time an athlete is surpassing Patrick Mahomes in annual earnings. Alarmingly, the reigning Super Bowl MVP is only the seventh highest-paid quarterback in the NFL after the recent surge of high-value contracts this offseason.

Mahomes has fallen behind the other QBs in the league

This offseason saw Philadelphia Eagles QB1 Jalen Hurts and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson set NFL records with their $51 million and $52 million annual payout signings coming in consecutive weeks. Other than the young stars of the league, veterans Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson also rake in a higher amount than the Chiefs QB1. Rodgers will roughly earn around $50 million in average annual salary. The Denver Broncos QB1 stands in the fourth spot with $48.6 million, as per Spotrac.

Also higher than Mahomes on the list are Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and Cleveland Browns passer Deshaun Watson.

However, Pat Mahomes has clarified that he is not after the money. Mahomes even agreed to restructure his deal this year, taking a $9.6 million pay cut to help the Chiefs acquire more weapons in the offseason. Clearly, the Lombardi Trophies are all he cares about.

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