Thanks to mega salaries and advertising deals

Cristiano Ronaldo is the first football billionaire

The former world footballer breaks the sound barrier and rises to the level of other sports greats. His move to Saudi Arabia almost three years ago played a decisive role in this.

Cristiano Ronaldo has once again achieved a new record – this time off the pitch. According to the financial service Bloomberg, the Portuguese international is listed in the “Billionaires Index” for the first time. This makes the 40-year-old the first professional footballer ever to be listed as a billionaire.

According to this, Ronaldo’s net worth is around 1.4 billion US dollars, which corresponds to around 1.2 billion euros. Bloomberg takes into account career earnings, investments and endorsement deals, among other things, in its estimate.

Between 2002 and 2023, the striker is said to have received over 550 million dollars (around 473 million euros) in salary. Lucrative sponsorship deals with well-known brands such as Nike and Armani make a significant contribution to this.

Ronaldo’s move to the Saudi Arabian Pro League gave additional impetus. At the end of June, the striker signed a new two-year contract with Al-Nassr, which, according to the BBC, is worth around 344 million euros. When he first moved to the league in 2022, Ronaldo became the highest-paid footballer in history with an annual salary of 200 million euros.

With his entry into the billionaire circle, Ronaldo joins greats such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Roger Federer – all athletes who, according to Forbes and Bloomberg, have also exceeded this financial threshold.

The Portuguese has also set numerous records in sport. In 2009 he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid for a then world record fee of 94 million euros. With 223 appearances, he now holds the record for the most international matches in football and is approaching the mark of 1,000 competitive goals for club and national team.

Thanks to mega salaries and advertising deals

Cristiano Ronaldo is the first football billionaire

The former world footballer breaks the sound barrier and rises to the level of other sports greats. His move to Saudi Arabia almost three years ago played a decisive role in this.

Cristiano Ronaldo has once again achieved a new record – this time off the pitch. According to the financial service Bloomberg, the Portuguese international is listed in the “Billionaires Index” for the first time. This makes the 40-year-old the first professional footballer ever to be listed as a billionaire.

According to this, Ronaldo’s net worth is around 1.4 billion US dollars, which corresponds to around 1.2 billion euros. Bloomberg takes into account career earnings, investments and endorsement deals, among other things, in its estimate.

Between 2002 and 2023, the striker is said to have received over 550 million dollars (around 473 million euros) in salary. Lucrative sponsorship deals with well-known brands such as Nike and Armani make a significant contribution to this.

Ronaldo’s move to the Saudi Arabian Pro League gave additional impetus. At the end of June, the striker signed a new two-year contract with Al-Nassr, which, according to the BBC, is worth around 344 million euros. When he first moved to the league in 2022, Ronaldo became the highest-paid footballer in history with an annual salary of 200 million euros.

With his entry into the billionaire circle, Ronaldo joins greats such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Roger Federer – all athletes who, according to Forbes and Bloomberg, have also exceeded this financial threshold.

The Portuguese has also set numerous records in sport. In 2009 he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid for a then world record fee of 94 million euros. With 223 appearances, he now holds the record for the most international matches in football and is approaching the mark of 1,000 competitive goals for club and national team.