If you somehow managed to grab yourself a Paris Saint-Germain shirt with the name 'Messi' plastered on its back this week, then fair play. You are definitely quick off the mark.
Why, you ask? Well, it has emerged that the French club sold more than 150,000 Lionel Messi shirts in the space of seven minutes, according to Spanish outlet AS.
And with the cheapest men’s shirt with Messi on the back being priced up at €158, it is believed shirt sales alone brought in an estimated €23.7million of online sales.
That being said, with the discount of women's and children's sizes being considered, the amount will likely be lower but still. That's a serious amount of money in such a short space of time.
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It certainly makes his two-year contract with a net salary of €25 million-a-year look worthwhile, although the shirt sales won't go directly into PSG's pockets.
The Ligue 1 side signed an agreement with Nike until 2032 that means the club receive €80 million upfront each year rather than a percentage cut of final sales.
AS also report that Barcelona have lost multiple sources of income with the departure of their star player, with shirt sales being a big factor.
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In fact, according to Brand Finance, Messi's departure could end up costing the Blaugrana €137 million in brand value.
They estimate a loss of €17 million on matchdays, as well as a whopping €43 million when it comes to lost merchandise sales - not to mention commercial and sponsorship opportunities, with the club potentially looking at losing €77 million in business revenue.
"Messi is synonymous with the Barcelona brand and has been the club's talisman since bursting onto the scene 15 years ago," Hugo Hensley, Head of Sports Services at Brand Finance, said.
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"His presence at the club has no doubt allowed it to attract additional fans, better players, managers, commercial deals, and win silverware. His departure can cost the club as much and result in a painful brand value decrease."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Football, Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, La Liga, Ligue 1
