Lionel Messi’s Real Estate Venture Debuts on Spanish Stock Market

 Lionel Messi, the renowned Argentine soccer star and current Inter Miami player, has launched a real estate investment trust (REIT), Edificio Rostower Socimi, which made its debut on the Spanish stock market at €57.4 per share. The debut valuation gives the REIT a market capitalization of €223 million ($232.12 million). Messi serves as the chairman of the board, according to documents published by the Portfolio Stock Exchange, a European alternative market overseen by the Bank of Spain.

Edificio Rostower's portfolio includes seven hotels across Spain and Andorra, three office spaces, and five apartments in Spain, alongside properties in London and Paris. Founded in 2013, the company recorded a €1.7 million loss in 2023, as reported by the Portfolio Stock Exchange. While the company has not commented on its stock market debut, the majority of its investments are concentrated in Catalonia, a region closely tied to Messi’s career.

Messi moved to Catalonia in 2000 at the age of 13 to join FC Barcelona's youth academy and remained there until 2021. His departure from the club came unexpectedly due to financial constraints and La Liga's financial fair play rules, leading him to sign with Paris Saint-Germain before his eventual move to Inter Miami.

Messi has expressed his intention to return to Barcelona with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their three children after retiring from professional soccer. Roccuzzo serves as the vice-president of Edificio Rostower’s board, which also includes Alfonso Nebot, manager of Messi’s family office, and Ramon Adell, a board member of Spanish energy company Naturgy.

The company’s stock market debut marks a significant step in Messi’s post-soccer ventures, underlining his ties to Catalonia and his strategic investments in the European property market.