Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first soccer player to join the billionaire club, according to Bloomberg. His record-breaking earnings, lucrative endorsements, and high-profile contracts have set a new financial benchmark in the sport, the BBC reports. The Bloomberg Billionaire Index, which tracks personal fortunes worldwide, now puts the 40-year-old Portugal and Al-Nassr forward's net worth at $1.4 billion. According to Bloomberg, Ronaldo amassed over $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023.
Ronaldo, who grew up in poverty on the island of Madeira, spent most of his career playing for Real Madrid, Juventus, and Manchester United. In 2022, Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr made headlines as he became the sport's highest-paid player, pulling in roughly $237 million per year. His contract, initially set to expire in 2025, has now been extended by two years in a package reportedly exceeding $400 million, ensuring he'll stay with the club past his 42nd birthday.
Ronaldo's financial clout places him ahead of longtime rival Lionel Messi. Bloomberg notes that Ronaldo and the Argentinian player long earned similar wages, but a large gap opened after Ronaldo joined the Saudi team and Messi signed a contract with Inter Miami, where his annual pay of $20 million is less than a tenth of Ronaldo's. The 38-year-old Messi is, however, set to receive an ownership stake in Inter Miami upon retirement. Ronaldo, who has scored 946 goals in his career, including a record 141 for Portugal, recently said that family members have urged him to slow down—but he aims to make it to at least 1,000 goals, ESPN reports.
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