Rodrigo De Paul: From Racing to a $25 Million Fortune
The 1-1 draw between Inter Miami and the Chicago Fire ended with more edge than elegance. The football stopped; the emotions didn’t.
As the final minutes ticked away, Robert Lewandowski and Ian Fray clashed, trading shoves in a brief but heated exchange. Before tempers could cool, Rodrigo De Paul tore into the scene, chest out, eyes locked on the Polish striker. He didn’t hesitate. He went straight for Lewandowski, making it very clear he would not let anyone lean on his teammate without a response.
That flash of fury told a familiar story about De Paul. This is a player who has built his reputation not on highlight-reel goals, but on running, tackling, and standing up for the people around him. It also threw fresh light on another part of his journey: how that relentless style helped him build a fortune across four countries and more than a decade at the top level.
From Racing to Miami: the making of a multimillionaire
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Rodrigo De Paul’s estimated net worth sits around $25 million. It’s not an official balance sheet, but it tracks with a career that has taken him from Argentina to Spain, Italy and now the United States, stacking salaries, bonuses and endorsement deals along the way.
The clearest snapshot comes from his current deal. Figures published by the MLS Players Association list De Paul on a base salary of $7.57 million with approximately $9.69 million in guaranteed annual compensation for 2026. Only two players in the league earn more: Lionel Messi and Son Heung-min. That’s the financial company he now keeps.
He didn’t arrive there overnight. De Paul came through at Racing Club, made his first move to Europe with Valencia, then rebuilt his value with five hard-working seasons at Udinese. His performances in Serie A pushed him into a different bracket. Atlético Madrid paid around €35 million to sign him in 2021, a fee that underlined how far his stock had risen. Four years later, Inter Miami spent roughly €14.5 million to bring him to MLS on a permanent deal.
Those transfer fees went to clubs, not directly into De Paul’s bank account, but the pattern matters. Rising fees meant rising leverage. Each move gave him more power at the negotiating table, more justification for higher wages and better terms.
Capology estimates that across his career, De Paul has collected nearly $29.9 million in gross base salary alone, excluding bonuses, image rights and commercial deals. The real total, once endorsements and performance incentives are added, climbs well beyond that.
His international success with Argentina adds another layer. FIFA awarded the Argentine federation $42 million for winning the 2022 World Cup, though it never disclosed how that money was divided between players. The same goes for the bonuses attached to Argentina’s Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024. Those figures remain behind closed doors, leaving a chunk of De Paul’s earnings impossible to pin down precisely but clearly significant.
Different paths, different prizes
De Paul’s pride is cut from a different cloth. He became the tireless, combative midfielder at Messi’s side, the one who covers ground, breaks up play and absorbs contact so others can create. That role has brought him two Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup, and it has shaped how he sees himself: a protector as much as a playmaker.
You could see that identity in Chicago, in the way he charged toward Lewandowski without a second thought.
Family, fashion and a World Cup on his neck
Away from the pitch, De Paul’s life has been just as closely watched, especially in Argentina. He is the youngest of three sons born to Mónica Ferrarotti and Roberto De Paul. He has two children, Francesca and Bautista, from his former relationship with Camila Homs, and his family life has often drawn almost as much media attention as his football.
His European chapter stretched for roughly 11 years, from his move to Valencia in 2014 until his departure from Atlético Madrid to Inter Miami in 2025. During that time, he cultivated a strong interest in fashion and body art. The tattoos tell their own story. One of them, etched on his neck, carries the date of Argentina’s World Cup triumph in 2022 — a permanent, visible reminder of the greatest night of his career.
Now he finds himself in MLS, one of the league’s top earners, playing next to Messi again and throwing his weight around in late-game scuffles with global stars like Lewandowski.
The money, the medals, the ink on his skin — they all point to the same thing: Rodrigo De Paul has no intention of living a quiet chapter in Miami.
