One of the greatest footballers of all time has become the latest sporting celebrity to order a Sunreef catamaran.

Sunreef has announced that Lionel Messi has ordered a new Ultima 88 (click for Review / Issue 89 cover story), which is currently under construction at the company’s growing shipyard in the UAE. Messi captained Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory in 2022 and recently retired from international football after scoring 126 goals in 208 matches for his country.

After moving from Argentina to Spain at the age of 13 to join Barcelona’s youth academy, Messi went on to score 474 goals in 520 matches for Barcelona’s first team from 2004-21, winning 10 La Liga and four UEFA Champions League titles. He then won two French league titles with Paris Saint-Germain before moving to the US in 2023 to join MLS team Inter Miami, scoring his 900^th career goal this year.

Now 39, Messi is preparing to join Sunreef’s cast of celebrity owners, which include retired tennis legend Rafa Nadal (click for interview), who received his 80 Sunreef Power in 2020, and two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso, whose 60 Sunreef Power was delivered in 2023.

This year, tennis star Carlos Alcaraz ordered an Ultima 88 – the same model Messi has ordered – and Polish footballer Robert Lewandowski, formerly of Barcelona and now in the MLS with Chicago Fire, has signed for an 80 Sunreef Power Next.

Messi has ordered the Ultima 88 for his MIM Ocean fleet, based in the Balearic Islands. MIM Ocean is a partnership between Messi, with the experience of his MiM hotels in Spain and Andorra, and Med Cat Yachts, a sales and charter company specialising in catamarans.

“It’s a real pleasure to join the Sunreef family. My family and I have always loved spending time at sea whenever we get the chance,” Messi said. “Sunreef Yachts have the style and features I really like, and they’re a perfect fit for what I’m looking for. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the Ultima 88 and enjoying it with my family.”

Ultima 88 highlights include a full-beam master suite forward and Sunreef’s signature Ocean Lounge beach club with drop-down sides and a jet-ski garage.

Francis Lapp, CEO of Sunreef Yachts, which he founded in Poland in 2002, was delighted to welcome Messi to the shipyard’s growing list of celebrity yacht owners.

“Leo Messi embodies an extraordinary level of excellence, but what makes this new chapter particularly meaningful to us is what happens beyond the spotlight,” Lapp said.

“At Sunreef Yachts, we believe that true luxury is the freedom to choose how you spend your time, with the people who matter most. The sea gives us that freedom in its purest form. We are incredibly proud to welcome Leo Messi and his family to the House of Sunreef.”

sunreef-yachts.com

mim-ocean.com