Standfirst: Lionel Messi has ordered an 88-foot Sunreef Ultima 88 catamaran for his MIM Ocean fleet. With a waterfront-inspired Ocean Lounge, a private master suite and twin 1,000-horsepower engines, the yacht is designed for family escapes and exclusive experiences at sea.
By MKV Digital Luxury Gazette | October 16, 2026
Football icon Lionel Messi is adding another statement of luxury to his life beyond the pitch. The Argentine superstar has ordered a Sunreef Ultima 88 power catamaran, an approximately 88-foot vessel currently under construction at Sunreef Yachts’ shipyard in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht is expected to join MIM Ocean, the footballer’s yacht charter venture based in the Balearic Islands. Its design centres on generous living spaces, direct access to the water and an arrangement suited to spending time with family and guests.
The order was confirmed by Sunreef Yachts and reported by specialist marine publications. Messi also spoke about his enthusiasm for the project, saying that his family enjoys spending time at sea and that the yacht’s style and features suit his preferences.
While the vessel is still being built, its specifications offer a glimpse into the kind of experience the football star is seeking: a private floating retreat with the amenities of a contemporary luxury residence.
Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht: A new chapter at Sea
Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht marks the footballer’s association with Polish luxury yacht builder Sunreef Yachts. The company announced that Messi had joined its Sunreef family after placing an order for the Ultima 88.
The yacht is being constructed in Ras Al Khaimah, a location that places the project within the UAE’s growing luxury maritime and yacht-building sector. Although Sunreef is a Polish-founded manufacturer, its UAE shipyard is handling the build.
According to SuperYacht Times, the vessel measures approximately 28 metres, while other marine publications describe it as a 26.8-metre, 88-foot catamaran. The reported measurements vary between outlets, so the final published specifications should be confirmed with the builder.
Messi’s order is not simply about owning a yacht. The vessel is intended to become part of MIM Ocean’s fleet, offering guests exclusive experiences around the Balearic Islands. Its eventual role in the charter business may make it both a personal leisure asset and a commercial venture.
Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht: An Ocean Lounge built around the water
One of the most distinctive features of the Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht is its Ocean Lounge, a signature design element that brings passengers closer to the sea.
The space is intended for swimming, watersports and relaxed time outdoors. Rather than keeping the experience confined to the yacht’s interior, the layout makes the water itself part of the onboard lifestyle.
The catamaran will also feature expansive outdoor lounging areas and a generous flybridge. Together, these spaces create multiple settings for entertaining, enjoying the view or spending a quiet afternoon away from shore.
A dedicated Jet Ski garage is another feature of the design, allowing water-sports equipment to be stored onboard and accessed conveniently.
These amenities reflect a broader direction in contemporary luxury yacht design: owners increasingly seek vessels that combine private accommodation with outdoor leisure and direct engagement with the surrounding environment.
Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht: Inside the family-focused accommodation
Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht is designed to accommodate family and guests without sacrificing privacy.
Published specifications describe a full-beam master suite and four additional guest staterooms, with the guest accommodation arranged on the lower deck. The layout provides a dedicated retreat for the owner while allowing other passengers to enjoy their own private spaces.
Renderings of the yacht show a contemporary interior with neutral tones, broad windows and a spacious main salon. A dining area and comfortable seating are intended to support both everyday family use and entertaining.
The design’s emphasis on natural light and visual connection with the outdoors complements the yacht’s water-facing leisure spaces. However, the interior images currently available are renderings; the finished vessel may differ in detail from the visualisations.
For Messi, who has spoken about enjoying time at sea with his family, the arrangement appears to prioritise comfort, privacy and shared experiences rather than formal extravagance alone.
Twin engines and a Shallow Draft Design
Powering the Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht will be two engines rated at 1,000 horsepower each, giving the catamaran a combined stated output of 2,000 horsepower.
Sunreef’s Ultima concept combines a sleek profile with a spacious catamaran layout. The design is intended to balance performance and manoeuvrability with the generous onboard volume associated with larger leisure vessels.
The yacht is also described as having a shallow draft, a feature that can help a vessel access certain shallow-water anchorages and coastal locations. Its actual operating limits will depend on the final build and local conditions.
Sunreef has also promoted solar-energy technology for its yacht range. The source report says the Ultima 88 can be equipped with a solar skin, although the precise configuration selected for Messi’s vessel has not been publicly established.
No verified top speed, fuel-consumption figures or delivery date have been announced in the reports reviewed.
Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht and the Fort Lauderdale mansion connection
The Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht has also drawn attention because of reports linking the footballer’s luxury lifestyle to a waterfront property in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The original report describes Messi’s US residence as an approximately $11 million mansion in the gated Bay Colony community, with waterfront access and private boat docks. That setting has prompted speculation about whether the catamaran could be kept close to the property.
However, the yacht’s confirmed destination is MIM Ocean’s fleet in the Balearic Islands. We have not found independent confirmation that Messi plans to dock this particular vessel at his Fort Lauderdale home.
A yacht’s ability to access a private dock depends on more than its length. Water depth, draft, dock dimensions, turning space and local navigation conditions all matter. The property’s reported waterfront features alone do not establish that the Ultima 88 will be berthed there.
The mansion connection therefore remains an interesting lifestyle detail, rather than a confirmed part of the yacht’s operating plans.
Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht: What happens next?
The Lionel Messi Sunreef Ultima 88 yacht remains under construction, and a delivery date has not been announced in the reporting reviewed.
Once completed, it is expected to join the MIM Ocean fleet and support exclusive experiences in the Balearic Islands. The vessel’s eventual launch will provide a clearer picture of its final interior, equipment and operating specifications.
Messi’s order also places him among the high-profile sports figures associated with Sunreef. The manufacturer has welcomed other prominent athletes and motorsport personalities into its owner community, including Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Robert Lewandowski and Fernando Alonso.
For the football legend, the Ultima 88 represents a shift from sporting achievement to a more private form of luxury: time on the water, room for family and guests, and a vessel designed to make the sea part of everyday leisure.
Until the yacht is delivered, its most compelling details remain those of the design itself—a spacious catamaran, a water-facing Ocean Lounge and a family-oriented interior, all built around the promise of life at sea.
