Lionel Messi's Miami Real Estate Move Sparks Frenzy: What's the Buzz?
Before Lionel Messi takes the pitch against Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final, he can celebrate another win off the field. His bet on a Miami high-rise a year ago is paying off in a big way.
The soccer superstar’s decision to scoop up four residences at Cipriani Residences Miami last spring has proven to be a shrewd real estate call. The Brickell skyscraper has topped off construction and crossed the 80% sold mark ahead of its Summer 2027 delivery, with a rush of buyers following in his footsteps, The Post has learned.
A wave of Argentine soccer players has joined Messi at the development, according to sources. The buyer pool has also swelled with executives from Citadel and Amazon relocating from New York and California, sources also told The Post.
Domestic buyers from those two states now lead sales at the tower, alongside international purchasers hailing from more than 30 countries. The top markets abroad, in order, are Mexico, Italy, Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Canada, France, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Mast Capital declined to confirm the identities of any individual buyers at the development, citing a policy of protecting purchaser privacy.
When Messi signed on, paying roughly $7.5 million for one four bedroom unit spanning about 3,500 square feet alone, the 85-story tower was still rising out of the ground and completion was pegged for 2028. Now, having reached its full height of approximately 950 feet, the building is positioned to become the tallest residential tower south of New York City.
Delivery has also been pulled forward a year from the original timeline. Buyers are set to move in next summer, a year ahead of what was first planned when Messi made his purchase.
The 397-unit tower, the Cipriani family’s first ground-up residential project in North America, will offer residents more than 50,000 square feet of amenities once complete.
Those include a 37th-floor speakeasy overlooking Biscayne Bay, a resort-style pool deck, a holistic spa, a private screening room and signature Cipriani dining drawn from the family’s nearly century-old hospitality legacy that began with Harry’s Bar in Venice.
“For nearly a century, our family, inspired by our Italian heritage and traditions, has welcomed people from around the world with the same philosophy: to create places where elegance, service and hospitality come naturally,” Giuseppe Cipriani told The Post in a statement. “I am excited to see this spirit continue through Cipriani Residences Miami.”
Camilo Miguel Jr., founder and CEO of developer Mast Capital, said the topping off signals something bigger than a construction checkpoint.
“This milestone represents far more than reaching the top of the tower. It reflects the continued evolution of Miami as one of the world’s premier destinations for high-end real estate,” he said. “As we celebrate reaching full height and surpassing 80 percent in sales, we continue to see extraordinary validation from buyers around the world who recognize the exceptional quality of what we have created alongside our partners.”
Scott Moss, CEO of Moss Construction, framed the milestone in terms of what it means for buyers waiting to close.
“Reaching the top of the structure is a significant achievement because it brings buyers one step closer to taking ownership of their homes,” he told The Post.
“Constructing one of the tallest residential towers in the country requires extraordinary coordination, engineering expertise and craftsmanship… With occupancy beginning next summer, buyers can now see that vision becoming reality.”
Designed by Arquitectonica with interiors by 1508 London, the tower’s units start at $1.8 million, with the building’s Canaletto Collection beginning at $4.1 million.
Fortune Development Sales is handling sales and marketing for the project.
