Lionel Messi is expanding his South Florida real estate footprint with an $8 million purchase in Fort Lauderdale’s gated Bay Colony neighborhood. The new home sits next to a property he bought three years ago, giving the soccer star and his family two neighboring waterfront residences along the area’s canal network.
Key takeaways
- A company linked to Messi paid $8 million for a home on Compass Lane.
- The property is next door to the $10.8 million home Messi purchased three years ago.
- The seven-bedroom residence covers more than 7,600 square feet and has waterfront access.
The purchase adds to Messi’s local holdings as he continues his club career with Inter Miami and spends much of his time in South Florida with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their three sons.
What the latest purchase includes
A Broward County deed records Sadani LLC as the buyer of the Compass Lane property. The company is reportedly managed by Messi’s wealth manager and was also used for his earlier purchase in the neighborhood.
The home was most recently bought by Michael and Michelle Nelson in 2013 for $2.7 million. It has seven bedrooms and spans more than 7,600 square feet, according to a Zillow listing. The property, like Messi’s neighboring home, has access to one of Bay Colony’s canals.
Two neighboring homes in Bay Colony
Messi acquired the adjacent residence for $10.8 million about three years ago, shortly after announcing he would join Inter Miami. The two properties give him a larger footprint within the gated Fort Lauderdale community, though details about how he plans to use the newly purchased home were not reported.
Buying neighboring properties is a strategy used by some affluent buyers seeking more space and privacy. Other examples in South Florida include billionaire Ken Griffin’s purchases of adjoining Palm Beach properties and singer Enrique Iglesias’s acquisitions in Miami’s Bay Point neighborhood.
Messi’s South Florida chapter
Messi, 39, led Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He announced last month that he was retiring from international soccer but intends to continue playing at club level. His contract with Inter Miami runs through 2028, keeping the Fort Lauderdale area central to his professional life for the coming seasons.
- Soccer star Messi buys another waterfront Ft Lauderdale home, Miami Herald.