Lionel Messi Expands His Luxury Yacht Collection With a Sunreef Ultima 88
Football icon Lionel Messi has commissioned a Sunreef Ultima 88 luxury yacht, bringing contemporary catamaran design, exceptional comfort, and the art of Mediterranean living to his growing MIM Ocean fleet.
Lionel Messi is deepening his presence in the world of luxury yachting with the acquisition of a Sunreef Ultima 88, an elegant power catamaran now under construction at Sunreef Yachts. The Argentine football legend selected the 88-foot vessel to join his MIM Ocean fleet. His choice reflects a lifelong affinity for the sea and an appreciation for contemporary design, privacy, and time spent with family.
The announcement unites one of the world’s most celebrated sporting figures with a shipyard known for its distinctive approach to yacht architecture. Shaped around spacious living environments, sophisticated engineering, and direct access to the water, the Sunreef Ultima 88 offers a refined expression of the Mediterranean lifestyle. It is a way of life increasingly embraced by Ultra High Net Worth Individuals, known as The 1%.
Messi’s international career has been accompanied by a growing portfolio of lifestyle investments. His new yacht extends his personal relationship with the sea, opening the way to family holidays, private cruising, and exclusive experiences across the Mediterranean.
Sunreef Ultima 88 Brings Contemporary Design to Luxury Yacht Ownership
Measuring approximately 88 feet (26.8 meters), the Sunreef Ultima 88 introduces a distinctive architectural approach through its twin-hull configuration. The catamaran design creates generous interior volumes while delivering stability and comfort throughout every passage.
With a beam of approximately 30 feet (9.1 meters), the yacht offers living spaces that stretch across the full width of the main deck. Its open-plan layout invites a natural dialogue between the interior lounges and the surrounding sea. The result is an atmosphere well suited to extended family stays and graceful entertaining.
The exterior reflects Sunreef Yachts’ contemporary design philosophy, blending sculptural lines, expansive glazing, and carefully integrated outdoor spaces. Each element contributes to a residential experience in which comfort, movement, and closeness to the water sit at the heart of life aboard.
For The 1%, this approach mirrors the rising appeal of yachts designed around personal lifestyles. Here, spacious accommodation and sophisticated amenities create a private sanctuary from which to discover the world’s most coveted destinations.
At a Glance: Sunreef Ultima 88
- Length: Approximately 88 feet (26.8 meters)
- Beam: Approximately 30 feet (9.1 meters)
- Accommodation: Eight guests across four private staterooms
- Anticipated maximum speed: Approximately 26 knots
- Signature feature: The Ocean Lounge
- Status: Under construction at Sunreef Yachts
A Luxury Yacht Designed Around Family Experiences
Family life played a central role in Messi’s decision to commission the Sunreef Ultima 88, with the football star expressing his appreciation for time spent at sea with his loved ones.
The yacht will welcome eight guests across four private staterooms, creating an intimate residential setting for family holidays and private gatherings. The accommodation was conceived with comfort and privacy in mind, allowing guests to enjoy longer journeys while staying connected to the landscape beyond.
The catamaran’s generous proportions leave room for relaxation, dining, and shared moments throughout the day. Leisurely mornings overlooking the Mediterranean give way to afternoons of swimming and evenings of quiet celebration. Every hour aboard is shaped around the simple pleasures of life on the water.
For Ultra High Net Worth Individuals, family remains an essential dimension of yacht ownership. A private vessel becomes a vessel of memory, too, carrying lasting moments across exceptional destinations.
The Ocean Lounge Creates a Private Waterfront Retreat
Among the defining features of the Sunreef Ultima 88 is its Ocean Lounge. This expansive waterfront space is created through a combination of folding side platforms, a hydraulic swim platform, and an integrated tender garage.
Positioned toward the stern, the arrangement transforms the aft section of the yacht into a dedicated space for relaxation, swimming, and watersports. As the platforms unfold, the usable exterior area extends outward, opening the yacht to the sea that surrounds it.
Guests can step directly into the water throughout the day. Meanwhile, the integrated tender facilities make it easy to slip away to secluded beaches, coastal destinations, and nearby islands.
The Ocean Lounge captures an important aspect of contemporary yacht design. The relationship between the vessel and its natural surroundings is no longer incidental. It becomes an integral part of the experience on board.
For Messi and his family, it offers a private Mediterranean retreat where outdoor living, recreation, and rest unfold within a sophisticated setting.
Performance Meets the Mediterranean Lifestyle
The Sunreef Ultima 88 was designed to pair the comfort of a luxury catamaran with the performance of a contemporary power yacht.
According to Sunreef Yachts, the vessel is expected to reach a maximum speed of approximately 26 knots. That pace offers welcome flexibility when cruising between Mediterranean destinations.
The twin-hull architecture lends stability and provides an expansive platform for residential living. At the same time, the yacht’s performance supports coastal exploration and seamless journeys between the region’s established yachting hubs.
From the Balearic Islands to the French Riviera and the Italian coastline, the Mediterranean offers an unrivaled stage for private yachting. Celebrated ports, secluded anchorages, and an international lifestyle shaped by culture, gastronomy, and hospitality all meet along its shores.
For The 1%, the union of performance, privacy, and personalized itineraries continues to define the allure of yacht ownership.
Messi Expands His MIM Ocean Luxury Yacht Fleet
The Sunreef Ultima 88 will join Messi’s existing MIM Ocean fleet, which currently includes three catamarans operating in the luxury charter market.
Named MIM Ocean 1, MIM Ocean 2, and MIM Ocean 3, these vessels offer charter experiences throughout the Balearic Islands during the summer season. Each one introduces guests to the Mediterranean through private cruising and personalized hospitality.
The new Sunreef Ultima 88 is expected to become part of this collection, serving both Messi’s personal family life and the fleet’s charter activities.
Its arrival will add a new dimension to the MIM Ocean portfolio, bringing Sunreef’s contemporary architecture, spacious accommodation, and waterfront amenities into the existing fleet.
The yacht’s official name and delivery schedule have yet to be announced, and construction is currently progressing at the shipyard.
Sunreef Yachts Attracts International Sporting Icons
Messi joins a distinguished circle of international athletes who have chosen Sunreef Yachts for their personal vessels. Together, they reflect the shipyard’s growing presence in the private lives of prominent sporting personalities.
- Carlos Alcaraz: The Spanish tennis champion commissioned a Sunreef Ultima 88 earlier in 2026, selecting the same model as Messi for his own time at sea.
- Nico Rosberg: The Formula 1 world champion owns a Sunreef 80 Eco sailing yacht, a vessel that marries contemporary marine engineering with environmentally conscious technologies.
- Rafael Nadal: The tennis legend belongs to the Sunreef ownership community through his 80 Sunreef Power catamaran, a testament to the appeal of the shipyard’s approach to private cruising.
These relationships reveal a natural bond between elite sport and yacht ownership. Personal freedom, privacy, and extraordinary experiences form an essential part of life beyond professional competition.
For The 1%, the appeal of custom yacht ownership lies in the ability to shape a deeply personal environment, one that reflects individual passions, family traditions, and favorite destinations.
Luxury Yacht Ownership Reflects a Global Lifestyle
Messi’s investment in the Sunreef Ultima 88 highlights the close relationship between international wealth, experiential luxury, and private marine travel.
Among Ultra High Net Worth Individuals, yacht ownership offers a rare opportunity to unite residential comfort, mobility, and personalized hospitality within a private setting.
The Mediterranean remains central to this lifestyle. It draws yacht owners with its established marine infrastructure, exceptional coastal destinations, and remarkable concentration of luxury hospitality.
For those with international professional commitments and family residences across several countries, a private yacht creates space to spend unhurried time together. It becomes a floating home, gliding through some of the world’s most celebrated cruising regions.
The Sunreef Ultima 88 answers these priorities with spacious accommodation, versatile exterior areas, and a sophisticated approach to life aboard.
A New Chapter in Lionel Messi's Luxury Yacht Lifestyle
With the Sunreef Ultima 88 now under construction, Lionel Messi is preparing to welcome a new vessel into his growing MIM Ocean collection, one that unites his passion for the sea with his devotion to family.
The 88-foot yacht brings together four private staterooms, expansive living spaces, a distinctive Ocean Lounge, and an anticipated maximum speed of 26 knots. Together, they create a refined environment for Mediterranean cruising.
Its addition to the MIM Ocean fleet also reflects the deepening connection between internationally recognized personalities and the yacht industry. Increasingly, individual lifestyle preferences shape both the design and the ownership of private vessels.
For The 1%, Messi’s latest acquisition speaks to the enduring allure of life at sea. It is a world where privacy, personal freedom, and meaningful moments with family and friends meet on the open water, carried gently from one horizon to the next.
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