Barcelona to lose millions of euros with Messi’s exit

Lionel Messi’s Barcelona exit will cost the club a lot away from the pitch, as well as on it.

The Argentine will leave a void in Ronald Koeman’s XI that will likely prove impossible to replace, but Barcelona will feel his absence in their accounts as well, even despite offloading his salary.

According to a report by Brand Finance, Messi’s departure will decrease the value of Barcelona’s brand by 11 percent, meaning they could lose 137 million euros from the valuation their brand was assigned in 2021.

Their report for 2021 said that Barcelona were behind only Real Madrid as the second-most valuable football brand in the world.

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The Catalans are also set to suffer losses at a commercial level, with shirts and other merchandising expected to sell less without Messi. These could lead to the club missing out on as much as 77 million euros in commercial revenue alone.

When Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018, the club’s value decreased by 19 percent.