Where Lionel Messi May Be Living in South Florida

Is Lionel Messi living in Sea Ranch Lakes, a small village in Broward County, not far from Drive Pink Stadium in Fort Lauderdale?

Prior to Messi’s official debut as an InterMiami CF player on Sunday, photographs of him shopping at a South Florida Publix were plastered all over social media. The photos served as a reminder that even one of the greatest soccer stars of all time goes grocery shopping.

A sign in the background of one image shows that he was with his family at the Publix in Sea Ranch Lakes. The town is about 5 miles away from the stadium where InterMiami plays. The team trains at the adjacent Florida Blue Training Center.

Sea Ranch Lakes is also private and much of it is waterfront. Messi could be renting a home in the community.

The village, home to more than 500 residents, is just north of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, and near Fort Lauderdale. The majority of it is a gated community, which makes it appealing for someone like Messi.

Messi will be paid between $50 million and $60 million per year for the two and a half seasons he’s expected to play for Inter Miami, a relatively new soccer team owned by Miami businessmen Jorge and Jose Mas, David Beckham and other partners. Messi’s deal also includes equity in the team, as well as revenue-sharing agreements with Adidas, Apple and others.

Messi’s first home game is expected to be this Friday against Cruz Azul.

Messi is looking to purchase a home in Broward County, sources told The Real Deal. Though he owns at least three condos in Sunny Isles Beach, including a unit at Porsche Design Tower, he is likely not living there. If he wants to be near the ocean, he could also be looking in a handful of high-end Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods, like Bay Colony.

“[Sea Ranch Lakes] makes sense for him because it is private and guard-gated, and in close proximity to [good] schools and the stadium,” said Chad Carroll, a top Compass broker. Carroll is listing the second most expensive property in the village.

If Messi and his family are living in Sea Ranch Lakes and looking to stay there, they could be eyeing these homes, the most expensive waterfront properties in the village:

5 Saranac Road, asking $12.9 million

The five-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom house sits on a 0.3-acre lot. It spans 6,600 square feet. The property hit the market in January. The listing describes it as “minutes to elite private schools” with private beach access, 112 feet of deep water frontage, a home gym, theater, pool and cabanas. The house was built in 2017.

The property was listed with Zorka Dobreva of One Sotheby’s International Realty. Dobreva declined to comment and then could not be reached for comment.

5 Saranac Road (One Sotheby’s International Realty, Getty)

28 Minnetonka Road, asking nearly $11 million

The 6,215-square-foot, five-bedroom home at 28 Minnetonka Road offers a $500,000 saltwater infinity pool with a custom waterfall, 112 feet of water frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway, and a sunken fire pit. Caroll and Spencer Zorn have the listing.

The house was built in 2015 on a 0.4-acre lot.

28 Minnetonka Road (The Carroll Group, Getty)

7 Seneca Road, asking nearly $9 million

The third most-expensive home on the market for sale in Sea Ranch Lakes is the 7,100-square-foot, seven-bedroom house at 7 Seneca Road. The 0.3-acre property was nearly completed or is about to be, according to the listing. It’s on the market with Coldwell Banker’s Veroushka Volkert. Volkert did not immediately respond to a request for comment.