Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4bn.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with the Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400m.
Ronaldo had earned more than $550m in salary from 2002 to 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18m annually and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175m to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest paid player in football history with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52m) plus bonuses and a reported 15 percent share in his Saudi club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600m in pre-tax salary during his career.
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.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit, and they ask me why I want to score 1,000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things. I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish, I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
– Agencies
