Does Lionel Messi deserve a US$ 125 per year renewal contract with

FC Barcelona?
Negotiating the renewal of a soccer players contract is an exceedingly long, cumbersome, and
complicated matter that usually goes on for months before an agreement can be reached. The final
decision is a difficult one to take because the player is continuously being evaluated on his performance;
goals scored, physical condition, age and injuries common to high level athletes in this sport. We are
going to use as dataset: number goals scored per season, type goal scored, ratio goals Messi/goals FC
Barcelona, assistances, minutes played, number titles on the Messi’s period, etc.

Lionel Messi one of the best players in the history of football, perhaps even the best player of all time is
renewing this contract with the football club FC Barcelona of Spain. Which also happens to be one of the
best football clubs in the world. Lionel Messi at the age of 33 is negotiating a US$ 125 million per year
contract. This is daunting task as football statistics and sports medicine point to the fact that athletes reach
their peak performance between the age of 20 and 30. After the age of 30 their performance declines and
most players plan their retirement from professional sports.

As data specialists we have been hired by FC Barcelona’s lawyers to carry out an analysis report. Our
goal is to present data that will help the negotiation process and prove the legitimacy of Lionel Messi’s
contract demands. Presiding over these negotiations is the chairman of the board for FC Barcelona along
with the marketing manager, financial manager, club specialists and representatives of the multinational
clothing company NIKE and other corporations involved in merchandizing of the club’s trademark.

Lionel Messi’s contract should reflect his age, as he is close to retirement but more so his
accomplishments and value as a direct contributor to the club’s success and brand. It is also especially
important to mention the interest in Messi from other equally successful and powerful football clubs such
Paris St. Germain and Manchester city. His talent as a player, his contribution to the sport and the
economic and commercial impact are key reasons for their interest.

Our job is to focus on the value of Lionel Messi to FC Barcelona as a high-performance athlete that has
greatly contributed to the club over time. He is scored many goals and has secured many wins, trophies
and titles since his involvement in the clubs history.