8 players with the longest contracts in football history

• Lionel Messi tops this list with his contract at Barcelona
• He joined Camp Nou in 2004 and only left in 2021
• The Argentine could have stayed longer were it not for the club’s dire financial situation

When Lionel Messi announced his departure from Barcelona in the summer of 2021, it brought to an end one of the longest contracts in football history.

Since the star of his football career in 2004, the Argentine spent close to two decades at Camp Nou. This is a huge achievement, given this is the club where he established his dominance in the sport unapologetically. However, he is just one of several footballers who have also had long contracts with their teams.

Which Players Have The Longest Contracts In Football History

Lionel Messi

Then a young star, Messi signed a nine-year contract in 2005, just as he made his way into the first squad, which ran through 2014.

However, he bagged a ton of new contracts throughout his stay in Nou Camp. His 668 goals in 774 appearances for the Catalans is only one of several figures that show they were all worthwhile. After a two-year spell with French giants Paris Saint-German, Messi secured a move to Inter Miami where he is currently playing.

Inaki Williams

Inaki Williams. Photo by Goal

Another of the longest football contracts football fans might not be too familiar with is Inaki Williams. Williams, a forward, is committed to Athletic Bilbao for nine years, with a £117 million release clause.

The 30-year-old has made over 450 appearances for the Basque team. As of 2025, he is still signed to Athletic and is undoubtedly one of the key players in the club’s history.

Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta. Photo/ Barca Universal

Andres Iniesta received a lifetime contract from Barcelona in 2017. He has been a member of the team since joining as a member of the junior team in 1996. The master of Barcelona’s midfield eventually left the club in 2018, but he will always be remembered as one of the club’s greatest players.

Iniesta contributed 137 assists and 57 goals in 674 games for the team. The Spaniard is the player with the second-highest number of games played in Barcelona’s history, after only Xavi and Lionel Messi. He retired from professional football in October 2024 at the age of 40.

Raul

In 2008, after 16 years with the team, Real Madrid striker Raul received a lifetime contract. The Spaniard had previously been Cristiano Ronaldo‘s closest rival as Los Blancos’ all-time leading scorer. He departed the Bernabeu in 2010 to sign with Schalke, leaving Madrid with the club record for most appearances with 741 and 323 goals scored in that time.

Iker Casillas

Iker Casillas, a legendary player for Real Madrid, received a lifetime deal the same year as Raul. He joins the bandwagon of football players with the longest contracts in football history.

The Spanish goalkeeper joined the team when he was just nine years old and played an astounding 725 games for the European giants after graduating from their academy. After winning three Champions Leagues and five LaLiga championships, he left the club in 2015, falling only 16 appearances short of Raul’s club record.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Kepa Arrizabalaga signed a seven-year contract and paid a world record fee of £71.6 million to join Chelsea in 2018. It was another long-term agreement that ended up as a tremendous failure.

He was supplanted as the club’s starting quarterback in 2021 when Frank Lampard signed Edouard Mendy, but he has never really justified that price tag or the length of his deal. He is currently on loan at Bournemouth after another loan spell at Real Madrid last season.

Alan Pardew

Alan Pardew. Photo by IMDB

Alan Pardew enjoyed one of the longest contracts in football history when he signed an eight-year deal with Newcastle United in 2012.

The agreement was reached after the Magpies’ manager led his team to fifth place in the 2011–12 Premier League season. He was named manager of the year in the process.

Pardew departed Newcastle for Crystal Palace two years later after reaching a compensation arrangement with the club. Six years after leaving St James’ Park, his contract at Newcastle technically just ended a few years ago.

Cesc Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas signed a nine-year contract as a teenager that would keep him with Arsenal until 2014. But the midfielder went for Barcelona in 2011; therefore, he did not complete the duration of the deal.

However, his 57 goals and 92 assists over the course of 304 appearances with the Gunners would indicate that the money was well spent.