A great sportsman can win trophies; a global sporting icon can create markets.

Indian Corporate Associations: Tata Motors, BYJU’S and KT Men..

Lionel Messi may have said goodbye to international football, but his value to the corporate world is far from over. With an estimated personal fortune of around $1.1 billion, Messi has transformed himself from a football superstar into one of the world’s most recognisable commercial names.

India has not been outside that story. Tata Motors was among the first major Indian companies to recognise the value of Messi’s global appeal, signing him as its global brand ambassador in 2015. BYJU’S later associated with him as the education company looked to build an international identity. More recently, KT Men partnered with Messi and the Argentina Football Association, bringing his name into India’s rapidly growing men’s grooming market.

Messi vs India’s Biggest Celebrity Brands

For Indian corporate houses, Messi offers something different from a conventional celebrity endorsement. His appeal is not restricted to one country or even one continent. Football gives him a worldwide audience, allowing an Indian brand to associate itself with a personality already recognised in virtually every major consumer market.

The financial comparison with India’s leading celebrities is equally interesting. Kroll’s 2025 Celebrity Brand Valuation placed Shah Rukh Khan at $177.9 million, Ranveer Singh at $162.9 million and Virat Kohli at $158.4 million, with Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni also among India’s most valuable celebrity brands. Messi’s estimated $1.1 billion fortune is a different measure. It is personal net worth rather than celebrity brand value, but it illustrates the enormous economic ecosystem built around his name.

Messi’s career has had its controversy too. In Spain, he was convicted over tax offences concerning income from his image rights, and in 2017 the country’s Supreme Court confirmed a 21-month sentence and €2.093 million fine. The episode remains the biggest legal controversy of his career, but it did little to diminish his commercial appeal.

For Indian businesses, perhaps that is the real Messi story. His influence goes beyond football, reaching brands, consumers and markets across the world. As India’s consumers become increasingly connected to global sport, entertainment and lifestyle, the question for corporate India is no longer whether Messi is valuable. It is how much value a brand can create by being associated with him.