When Lionel Messi signed with Inter Miami CF in the summer of 2023, it was the biggest soccer story in American sports history. But while the world focused on the games, Messi was quietly doing something else: buying real estate. South Florida’s luxury market had already attracted athletes and billionaires from around the world. Messi fit right in.
On September 1, 2023, Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo closed on a waterfront estate at 91 Compass Lane in Fort Lauderdale’s Bay Colony community. The purchase price was $10.75 million. It was the home he had been hunting for since he landed in Florida that July.
Table of Contents
- Bay Colony: Fort Lauderdale’s Most Exclusive Enclave
- The Property: 10,500 Square Feet on the Intracoastal
- Inside the Mansion
- Why Messi Chose Fort Lauderdale
- Notable Neighbors
- His Growing Miami Portfolio
- What It Means for the Local Market
- FAQ
Bay Colony: Fort Lauderdale’s Most Exclusive Enclave
Bay Colony is a guard-gated island community of roughly 100 waterfront homes on the northeast side of Fort Lauderdale. It sits between US-1 and the Intracoastal Waterway, with most homes offering direct canal access and no fixed bridges to the ocean. Security is 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The community draws boating enthusiasts and buyers who want genuine privacy in a city setting. Average home values run around $4.6 million, but the top end reaches well past $20 million. Properties here don’t last long when they hit the market.
Bay Colony is about five miles from Drive Pink Stadium (now DRV PNK Stadium), where Inter Miami plays its home matches. It’s also minutes from the restaurants and boutiques along Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale’s main dining corridor.
The Property: 10,500 Square Feet on the Intracoastal
The two-story home was built in 1988 and completely renovated in 2019 by Canadian designer Lori Morris. The renovation was featured in Florida Design Magazine. Messi and Roccuzzo bought it from John and Stacy Dickerson, who had purchased it for $9 million in May 2022. The Dickersons sold at a 20 percent gain in just 16 months.
The core numbers: 10,500 square feet of living space, eight bedrooms, nine and a half bathrooms, and a lot just under half an acre. The property sits on a cul-de-sac with 170 feet of water frontage along the canal.
Outside, there are two boat docks, a resort-style heated pool with automatic cleaning, a spa, and a three-car garage. The waterway in front of the house is 81 to 120 feet wide with no fixed bridges, meaning boats of serious size can come and go directly to the ocean.
Inside the Mansion
The home’s interior mixes bold design choices with practical luxury. The foyer features a Murano glass chandelier. A sunken living room with black velvet walls anchors the main floor. The Italian kitchen has an eat-in island, breakfast nook, and recessed lighting throughout.
Almost every room has floor-to-ceiling windows. The open-concept layout keeps the water views visible from most of the main living areas. There’s also a dedicated fitness and spa room, an entertainment lounge, and an executive office.
The primary suite runs 1,600 square feet. It includes gold wallpaper, a private balcony overlooking the water, and ample lounge seating. For context, 1,600 square feet is larger than the average American apartment.
Why Messi Chose Fort Lauderdale
The choice made practical sense. Inter Miami’s training facility and stadium are both in Fort Lauderdale, not Miami proper. Messi could commute to work in under 10 minutes from Bay Colony. Privacy was also a clear factor. Bay Colony’s 24-hour guard gate makes it impossible for fans to access the street.
Messi, Roccuzzo, and their three sons relocated from Paris, where Messi had spent two seasons with PSG after leaving Barcelona. Before that, the family had based themselves in Castelldefels, a coastal suburb outside Barcelona, for over a decade. South Florida offered a lifestyle closer to what they knew: waterfront access, warm weather year-round, and a large Latin American community.
Fort Lauderdale also gave the family more space than Miami Beach or Brickell could offer at the same price point. A 10,500-square-foot compound on the Intracoastal with two boat docks would cost considerably more on a Miami Beach island.
Notable Neighbors
Messi’s most prominent neighbor is Patrick Bet-David, the entrepreneur and podcaster behind Valuetainment. Bet-David paid $20.4 million for his Bay Colony mansion in 2021, setting a community price record at the time. After Messi moved in, Bet-David publicly said his property had increased in value to around $45 million, crediting the soccer star’s arrival with driving demand in the neighborhood.
Sergio Busquets, Messi’s longtime Barcelona teammate who also joined Inter Miami in 2023, purchased a waterfront home in Sea Ranch Lakes for approximately $8.7 million. Sea Ranch Lakes is a few miles from Bay Colony along the same stretch of Fort Lauderdale coastline. The two teammates are practically neighbors.
David Beckham, one of Inter Miami’s co-owners, made his own real estate moves in South Florida. You can read more about Beckham’s Miami mansion to see how the club’s ownership group has been staking out real estate across the region.
His Growing Miami Portfolio
The Fort Lauderdale purchase was not Messi’s first South Florida property. Before closing on Bay Colony, he already owned units at the Porsche Design Tower in Sunny Isles Beach and the Regalia Tower, also in Sunny Isles Beach. Both are ultra-luxury condo buildings on the ocean north of Miami.
In early 2025, Messi went further. He went under contract on multiple condominiums at Cipriani Residences Miami, an 80-story tower under construction in Brickell. Among his acquisitions was a unit in the Canaletto Collection, a limited set of penthouses and high-floor residences at the top of the building with 360-degree views of Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline. Prices for Canaletto Collection units start near $7.5 million.
Cipriani Residences is designed by Arquitectonica with interiors by 1508 London. Residents will have access to Cipriani dining services, a private restaurant, resort pools, and a spa. The building is another sign that Messi is treating South Florida as a long-term home, not just a place to park money during his playing years.
For a broader look at where the ultra-wealthy are buying in the region, the Jeff Bezos Indian Creek Island compound shows how far buyers will go for privacy and water access in this market.
What It Means for the Local Market
Bay Colony was already expensive before Messi arrived. But his purchase created tangible momentum. The attention brought by a buyer with one of the most recognizable names on the planet pulled new eyes to the community. Real estate agents in the area noted an uptick in inquiries from international buyers who had not previously been looking at Fort Lauderdale.
The broader Fort Lauderdale luxury market had been on a strong run since the pandemic. Broward County saw more $1 million-plus home sales than Miami-Dade during parts of 2020 and 2021. Inventory stayed tight, prices rose, and new towers and luxury residences kept breaking ground. Messi’s arrival was the headline, but it reflected a market that was already moving in that direction.
At $10.75 million, Messi paid about $1,025 per square foot. For a fully renovated designer home on the Intracoastal with 170 feet of frontage, that was a reasonable price in the current market. The property had sold for $4.8 million in 2018 and $9 million in 2022, so the appreciation trajectory was already steep before he bought in.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Lionel Messi pay for his Fort Lauderdale mansion?
Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo paid $10.75 million for the property at 91 Compass Lane in Bay Colony, Fort Lauderdale. The deed was recorded on September 1, 2023. The previous owners had purchased the home for $9 million in May 2022 and sold at a roughly 20 percent premium in just 16 months.
Where exactly is Messi’s Fort Lauderdale house?
The home sits on a cul-de-sac at 91 Compass Lane in Bay Colony, a guard-gated waterfront community in northeast Fort Lauderdale. Bay Colony is bordered by US-1 to the west and the Intracoastal Waterway to the east. It is about five miles from DRV PNK Stadium, Inter Miami’s home venue.
Why did Messi buy in Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami?
Inter Miami’s stadium and training facility are both in Fort Lauderdale, making the commute convenient. Bay Colony also offered more space and privacy than comparable Miami Beach properties at the same price point. The gated community’s 24-hour security was a significant factor for a family of Messi’s profile.
Who are Messi’s neighbors in Bay Colony?
Entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David is among the most prominent residents. He paid $20.4 million for his Bay Colony home in 2021. After Messi moved in, Bet-David said his property had jumped to roughly $45 million in value. Sergio Busquets, Messi’s Inter Miami teammate, bought a waterfront home in the nearby Sea Ranch Lakes community for $8.7 million.
Does Messi own other properties in South Florida?
Yes. Before the Fort Lauderdale purchase, Messi already owned units at the Porsche Design Tower and Regalia Tower in Sunny Isles Beach. In early 2025, he went under contract on multiple condos at Cipriani Residences Miami in Brickell, including a unit in the exclusive Canaletto Collection with prices starting near $7.5 million.
What are the key features of Messi’s mansion?
The two-story home spans 10,500 square feet with eight bedrooms and nine and a half bathrooms. Notable features include a Murano glass chandelier in the foyer, a sunken living room with black velvet walls, an Italian kitchen, a 1,600-square-foot primary suite with a water-view balcony, resort-style pool and spa, a fitness room, and two boat docks with 170 feet of Intracoastal frontage. The home was designed by Lori Morris and featured in Florida Design Magazine.
Messi’s move to South Florida brought one of the most famous athletes in the world into a market that was already running hot. Bay Colony gave him what he needed: privacy, water access, and a short drive to work. The Fort Lauderdale luxury market was glad to have him.
