Lionel Messi starts his own production company

Lionel Messi (37) is building up another career alongside his football career. Deadline reports, the athlete is now entering the entertainment industry: Together with Smuggler Entertainment, he is founding the production company 525 Rosario, which will develop and produce premium television shows, films, live sporting events and community events, as well as branded content and commercials for athletes. “I am very motivated, […] to realize and further develop the project that we started with Smuggler Entertainment,” emphasizes Lionel.

The 37-year-old also explains: “Entertainment has always been a passion of mine, be it on the field or in other areas.” His new company is named after his hometown in Argentina, but has dual headquarters in Miami and Los Angeles in the United States. In addition, while the company will operate under the supervision of the striker’s family, its CEO will be someone else – Smuggler Entertainment co-founder Tim Pastore.

However, Lionel’s main job remains football – and things seem to be going pretty well so far. The Argentine international can now look back on a long sporting career in which he was the figurehead of FC Barcelona from 2004 to 2021. He then played for the French team Paris Saint-Germain and moved to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer in July 2023. But that’s not all: He was named World Player of the Year for the eighth time at the beginning of January, as Kicker reported.

Getty ImagesLionel Messi in September 2024Getty ImagesLionel Messi in July 2024