For many years, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have outlined fashionable soccer — their rivalry shaping an period of excellence, data, and relentless competitors. However now, the 2 icons of the sport have discovered themselves competing in a distinct enviornment: wealth. The primary billionaire soccer participant, Ronaldo’s staggering fortune has lastly been revealed, in response to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index — and it’s a milestone that cements his legacy far past the pitch.
At 40 years outdated, the Portuguese famous person has grow to be the primary participant in soccer historical past to succeed in a internet value of $1.4 billion, a determine that locations him amongst a uncommon breed of athletes — from Michael Jordan to Roger Federer — who’ve crossed into billionaire standing via sport. And whereas Messi continues to shut the hole, Ronaldo’s monetary empire stays unmatched, constructed via a mix of record-breaking salaries, international endorsements, and shrewd enterprise ventures.
For many of his glittering profession — from Manchester United to Actual Madrid and Juventus — Ronaldo’s earnings have been already astronomical. Between 2002 and 2023 alone, he earned over $550 million in salaries. But it surely was his sensational transfer to Saudi membership Al-Nassr in 2023 that remodeled him from a millionaire athlete right into a billionaire phenomenon.
The deal, valued at round $200 million per 12 months tax-free, included bonuses, picture rights, and unique perks corresponding to non-public jet entry. Then, in June 2025, Ronaldo signed a two-year extension value greater than $400 million, a deal that can maintain him at Al-Nassr till his forty second birthday. In response to Bloomberg, this renewal “was the decisive consider pushing Ronaldo’s internet value into the billionaire bracket.”
His time in Saudi Arabia not solely marked a turning level for his private wealth but additionally symbolized a broader shift in international soccer economics — one through which gamers, manufacturers, and nations are redefining the monetary scale of the game.
Nike, Armani, and the ability of the CR7 model
Ronaldo’s off-field empire has been simply as pivotal to his billionaire standing. Over the previous twenty years, he’s cultivated some of the recognizable manufacturers in sports activities historical past, CR7, encompassing accommodations, gyms, fragrances, trend, and even bottled mineral water. His international attain has made him the most-followed individual on Instagram, with over 665 million followers, remodeling each publish into advertising and marketing gold.
Bloomberg states that Ronaldo’s decade-long take care of Nike alone brings him round $18 million yearly, whereas different partnerships, with Armani, Castrol, and luxurious labels like Louis Vuitton and Tag Heuer, have added an estimated $175 million to his wealth. His ventures additionally embody luxurious actual property holdings, corresponding to a $20 million property in Quinta da Marinha, close to Lisbon.
Cristiano Ronaldo alongside Lionel Messi
How shut is Lionel Messi?
On the opposite facet of this monetary duel stands Lionel Messi, who continues to thrive in america with Inter Miami. As per the identical Bloomberg report, Messi has earned over $600 million in pre-tax wage throughout his profession. Since becoming a member of Main League Soccer in 2023, his assured annual wage of $20 million has been complemented by distinctive advantages — a share of Apple TV subscriptions and merchandise gross sales tied to MLS broadcasts.
Whereas his revenue trails Ronaldo’s by a large margin, Messi’s fortune might quickly surge. Upon retirement, he’s set to obtain an possession stake in Inter Miami, valued by Forbes at round $1.2 billion. That funding might ultimately push him near Ronaldo’s monetary territory, making the Argentine legend a billionaire in ready.
