BARRIO (The Mirror) – Entrepreneur and podcaster Patrick Bet-David has revealed his Fort Lauderdale mansion is worth a staggering $25million more since Lionel Messi moved in next door.

The soccer star, who signed a two-and-a-half-year deal worth $50-60m a season, moved to Florida in the summer after signing with David Beckham’s Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami.

After spending his first few months living in a $9m apartment just seconds away from ‘golden beach’, the World Cup winner and his wife Antonella bought a sprawling new $10.75million estate in Fort Lauderdale in September.

The lavish home boasts 10 bedrooms, a spa room, two boat docks and a swimming pool.

The 10,500 square-foot property sits within the gated community at Bay Colony, one of the floating neighborhoods north of Fort Lauderdale. 

One of his neighbors is Bet-David, the American entrepreneur, author and financial adviser.

And it appears the neighborhood is already reaping the rewards of Messi moving in nearby, with his arrival causing property prices to soar.

Speaking to VladTV, he said: ‘So far right now, according to today’s climate, I’ve already made $25m of equity on the house I own.

‘Messi just moved right next to my house. Everybody wants to be in our community. 

‘It’s a gated community on an island with only one way to go, very safe, very protected. God willing it still is.

‘Now that Messi is there everybody is fricking coming on their boats to look at the houses. We’re doing okay.’

Messi’s stunning house is just off the beachfront, barely a 15-minute drive from Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium and training base.

It sits on the canals which weave through South Florida and features a swimming pool which sits on the edge of the water.

Inside, the house features nine bathrooms, an Italian kitchen, a fitness and spa room, a VIP suite and a balcony which looks out over the the Fort Lauderdale skyline.

Luckily, teammate Sergio Busquets is not far away either – the midfielder, who followed Messi to South Florida, is reported to have recently paid around $9m for a waterfront home in Sea Ranch Lakes.

Messi – who is currently enjoying the offseason – bought the property with the help of Team Simpkin, who have helped players at the MLS club buy properties since its founding in 2018.

He already owned a luxury $9m apartment in Miami – and now has two other condos in Sunny Isles Beach, according to reports.

He also reportedly bought a Miami apartment in the Porsche Design Tower all the way back in 2019.

The 60-floor tower is situated between Bal Harbour and Aventura and is located 25 minutes away from Inter Miami’s stadium.

The building boasts several lifts designed exclusively for residents’ cars, allowing owners to park their vehicles in their exclusive suite.

As well as car lifts, the apartment has its own private restaurant, an outdoor lounge that faces the sea.