Oct 8 (Reuters) – Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which values the Portuguese great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial rise comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June, reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salaries between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million a year, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
RonaldoHis move from Manchester United to Al-Nassr in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a 15% stake in his Saudi Arabian club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
RonaldoHis billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes, including basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
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Ronaldo suggested he isn’t considering retirement anytime 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 stop and they ask me why I want to score a thousand goals when I’ve already scored nine hundred goals. But inside I don’t think so.”
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I’m sure that when I’m done, I’ll leave full throttle because I’ve given everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few years I have left I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
