Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first soccer player to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $US1.4 billion ($2.1 billion).
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $US400 million.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 made him the highest-paid player in football history. Now he’s football’s first billionaire.Credit: AP
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $US550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $US18 million annually, and lucrative
endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $US175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in soccer history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($358 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15 per cent share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $US600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
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Both players had benefited from significant pay inflation, far exceeding the lifetime earnings of the likes of David Beckham, who it said earned around $US100 million before retiring in 2013.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
