The Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which for the first time tracked the 40-year-old Portugal and Al-Nassr star’s wealth, has declared Cristiano Ronaldo to be football’s first billionaire player.
The index takes into account Ronaldo’s sponsorships, investments, and career earnings to arrive at a net worth of $1.4 billion (£1.04 billion).
It claims that between 2002 and 2023, he received almost $550 million (£410 million) in salary in addition to lucrative contracts, including as a ten-year Nike deal at nearly $18 million (£13.4 million) year.
When Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in 2022, he “reportedly became the best-paid player in football history” with an annual salary of £177m. His initial deal was due to end in June 2025, but he has since signed a new two-year contract reportedly worth more than $400m (£298m), keeping him at the club beyond his 42nd birthday.
Bloomberg also noted that Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi “has earned more than $600m (£447m) in pre-tax salary” during his career, including “$20m (£15m) in guaranteed annual pay since 2023 — about 10% of Ronaldo’s income during the same period.”
Congratulations Ronaldo !!!
Live with Purpose, Love with Passion. Remember to be happy
One ❤️❤️❤️
Rose Ajieh
