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Lionel Messi’s Ibiza mansion’s legal saga reportedly bubbled to the surface in 2022 when the Argentine snapped up the estate shortly after his FIFA World Cup triumph. The villa, sprawling across a 16,000-square-meter plot with opulent amenities including a private discotheque, gym, spa, infinity pool, paddle tennis court, mini soccer pitch, and even a golf putting green, was reportedly constructed without requisite building permits. Reports claim that the investigations by the town council, initiated shortly after Messi's purchase, uncovered unauthorized additions including, a pergola shading outdoor lounges, elevated terraces encroaching on protected green space, and the illicit conversion of a garage into habitable living quarters. These modifications, reportedly deemed “illegal works” in a February 2023 technical report, are claimed to be in violation of Spain's coastal protection laws and two key environmental statutes.
In a recent development on the matter, reports claim that Lionel Messi’s £9.5 million mansion on the shores of Ibiza might face partial demolition. It is said that Balearic Islands authorities revealed that the 548-square-meter villa, perched in the exclusive municipality of Sant Josep de sa Talaia, could soon be reduced to rubble, or at least significant portions of it due to a reported web of urban planning violations and environmental hazards. Additionally reports claim that the villa is dubbed a “toxic asset” by local officials, the property has become a lightning rod for legal battles, activist ire, and questions about celebrity excess in one of Europe's most ecologically fragile hotspots.
Ibiza declared a state of emergency last year over water shortages, amplifying Lionel Messi’s matter
Reports claim that at the Sant Josep Town Hall, authorities are consulting legal experts colloquially referred to as the “VAR” of urban planning to determine the fate of the irregular structures. Ibiza, after all, declared a state of emergency over water shortages as recently as last year, amplifying the stakes. Messi's legal team, reportedly caught off-guard by the celebrity scrutiny, has scrambled to respond. In late 2022, they submitted a regularization proposal outlining partial demolitions and fines to restore compliance. Yet, as of September 2024, the council reportedly issued a formal demolition order, demanding immediate action.
The “toxic asset” label, reportedly underscores the property's dual curse, financial and reputational. Claimed to be valued at £9.5 million upon acquisition, the mansion's market worth has reportedly plummeted amid the uncertainties. This isn't the first time Messi's Ibiza idyll has made waves. In August 2024, the property reportedly became ground zero for a high-profile clash with eco-activists from the radical group Futuro Vegetal. In a predawn raid, members reportedly scaled the perimeter walls and doused the pristine white facade in red and black biodegradable paint, reportedly unfurling banners proclaiming “Eat the Rich” and “Abolish the Police to End Climate Change.”
