Messi and Ronaldo Build Tech Portfolios. Mo Salah Plays Another Game

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah have spent the last two decades defining one of football’s greatest eras. Now, like 2026 FIFA World Cup It marks Ronaldo’s final appearance in the competition and another defining moment in Messi and Salah’s career, as they prepare for life beyond the pitch.

Before Messi’s Argentina beat Salah’s Egypt in the best game of the tournament on Tuesday, Salah was asked which player he would choose to do the final “last dance” from a generation that included Messi and Ronaldo. He chose Messi without doubt. His response was very rich as Ronaldo had already confirmed that this would be his last FIFA World Cup before Portugal’s defeat in the Round of 16. Spainending his six-match World Cup career.

Away from football, but the future of the players has started to diverge. Messi and Ronaldo are closely related in terms of equity AIhealthcare companies, and start-up companies, while Salah stuck to the traditional mix of business, property, and philanthropy.

This trend has grown exponentially over the past decade as financial services companies and startups proliferate look for reputable investors who bring more than money. A soccer player with hundreds of millions of followers can offer global reach, credibility, and distribution that few traditional investors can match.

“The shift from traditional support contracts to start-up funds and start-up investments shows a greater focus on long-term wealth creation and financial security than the work of athletes,” said Kamraan Khan, partner at Dubai-based firm Archers Valuation and Advisory.

In the past Over the past decade, elite athletes have sold their once-providing investments to become corporate owners, and have entered into a series of initiatives that have turned sports professionals into investors rather than brand ambassadors. In October 2022, Messi was established Play Time HoldCothe San Francisco-based marketing company along with entrepreneur Razmig Hovaghimian, founder of video streaming platform Viki, which was previously acquired by Rakuten. The company’s mission is simple: to invest in companies that work in sports, media, and technology.

“While financial aid often provides income at a time when athletes are making a lot of money, investment funds can provide opportunities for capital appreciation and, if possible, future capital gains, which can help build sustainable wealth after retirement,” says Khan.

It was initially reported that he wanted to follow approx $200 millionPlay Time has gathered history which is very similar to a Silicon Valley venture fund.

Per Play Time This website, its bets include FieldAI, Fish Audio, World Labs, Perceptron, Intangible, and SuperAnnotate, along with sports-related investments in FIFA licensed mobile game Game day and the AC Momento recall market.

Outside of Game Time, Messi also has a financial stake in the entertainment platform Sisterwhich allows users to buy and sell licensed digital playing cards, and join a group of owners KRÜ EsportsValorant is a Rocket League organization founded by former Argentine teammate Sergio Agüero. His three years, reportedly agreed to $20 million being the global ambassador of the blockchain fan-token platform Socios.com is a paid advertising partnership, not an unknown price.

As part of his 2023 transfer to Inter Miami, Messi received an ownership stake along with his salary and signing bonus. an unprecedented order in Major League Soccer. Although reports have speculated on the size of the fee, neither the club nor MLS has confirmed it publicly.

He played Inter Miami is valued at $1.45 billion in February 2026, a 22 percent annual increase is the highest price in MLS history.

If Messi’s money reflecting the AI ​​boom of Silicon Valley, Ronaldo focuses on medical technology – a field that is closely related to the human race that has spent years developing fitness and longevity.

Ronaldo became an investor in Whoop– a fitness wear and health monitoring company – in May 2024, the partnership Whoop himself called “One of the most important things that Ronaldo has sold so far,” he said, having already been a paying member for many years. “Whoop has been one of the most important tools I use to support my long-term health,” he said at the time. Whoop’s entry into the UAE is supported by the Qatar Investment Authority and Mubadala Investment Company.