Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first billionaire footballer

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