Argentine footballer Lionel Messi has officially joined the exclusive club of billionaire athletes, with his net worth exceeding USD 1 billion. He now shares this status with rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

<p> <img alt="His wealth accumulation reflects a novel trend within elite sport, where large fortunes have traditionally been built through investments outside the field of play" height="80" src="https://en.mercopress.com/data/cache/noticias/110230/100x80/webn-messicgol2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 12px 6px 0; border: 1px solid #333;" width="100" /> Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, 38, has crossed the USD 1 billion net worth threshold and joined the exclusive group ...