Rodrigo De Paul: From Racing to Inter Miami and His Rise to $25 Million
The final whistle had already blown, but the temperature on the pitch kept rising.
Inter Miami’s 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire ended in a flashpoint: a tangle between Robert Lewandowski and Ian Fray, a couple of shoves, and then Rodrigo De Paul sprinting into the frame like a man on a mission. The Argentine went straight for the Polish striker, chest out, eyes locked, making it abundantly clear he was there to protect his teammate.
It was a raw, unfiltered moment. And it dragged De Paul into the spotlight for reasons that went well beyond tactics or touch maps.
From Racing to Miami: how De Paul built his fortune
Behind that fiery reaction is a player who has spent more than a decade carving out a lucrative, hard-earned career across four countries.
De Paul’s net worth is estimated at $25 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. It’s not an official balance sheet, but it’s a snapshot of what 11 years of salaries, bonuses and endorsements in Argentina, Spain, Italy and the United States can add up to.
The clearest window into his current earning power sits in Miami. Figures published by the MLS Players Association list De Paul on a base salary of $7.57 million, with about $9.69 million in guaranteed annual compensation for 2026. Only Lionel Messi and Son Heung-min earn more in MLS. That alone tells you how the league views his status.
None of this arrived in a single leap.
De Paul came through at Racing Club in Argentina, then crossed the Atlantic to Valencia. His true breakout, though, came in Italy. Over five seasons with Udinese he rebuilt his reputation, turned into a complete midfielder and convinced Atlético Madrid to pay around €35 million for him in 2021. Four years later, Inter Miami stepped in, spending roughly €14.5 million to bring him to MLS on a permanent deal.
Those transfer fees went to clubs, not straight into De Paul’s bank account, but the pattern is obvious: each move raised his market value and gave him leverage to negotiate richer contracts.
Capology estimates his gross base salary earnings at nearly $29.9 million across his career, before any bonuses, endorsements or image rights. The true total sits higher, but exactly how much higher is impossible to pin down from public information.
The champion beside Messi
His international résumé adds another layer.
De Paul became one of the pillars of Argentina’s modern era, the relentless midfielder who ran, pressed and tackled so Lionel Messi could breathe. With him in that role, Argentina lifted the Copa América in 2021 and 2024 and, most famously, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
FIFA awarded the Argentine federation $42 million for that World Cup triumph. It never disclosed how much each player took home, and there are no verified figures for the bonuses tied to those Copa América titles either. Whatever the exact sums, they form part of the financial story that sits behind his current status in Miami.
The contrast with Lewandowski is striking. The Polish forward has never won a major title with his national team, but his club career is stacked: a Champions League crown, multiple Bundesliga titles, years as one of Europe’s deadliest scorers. De Paul’s pride comes from a different place — from being the engine, the bodyguard, the man who runs and fights for the stars around him.
That’s exactly what flared up in Chicago when he charged at Lewandowski.
Life beyond the pitch
Away from the stadium lights, De Paul’s story is rooted in family.
He is the youngest of three sons of Mónica Ferrarotti and Roberto De Paul. He has two children, Francesca and Bautista, from his previous relationship with Camila Homs. In Argentina, that private life has often shared the headlines with his football, his relationships and family disputes dissected almost as closely as his performances for club and country.
His time in Europe stretched for roughly 11 years, from his move to Valencia in 2014 until his departure from Atlético Madrid to join Inter Miami in 2025. During that period he leaned into his off-field interests: fashion, style, body art. The tattoos kept coming, each one a marker of identity. One stands out above the rest — the date of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph, etched on his neck, a permanent reminder of the night that changed his career forever.
Now he is in MLS, one of the league’s highest earners, a World Cup winner in pink, still playing with the same edge that took him from Racing to the world stage.
Anyone who watched him square up to Lewandowski in those chaotic final moments in Chicago saw it up close: the money, the medals, the moves across continents haven’t dulled him. If anything, they’ve only sharpened his instinct to fight for the players at his side.
