Ronaldo becomes football’s first billionaire: report
The Portugal great’s net worth stands at an estimated US$1.4 billion
[LONDON] Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated US$1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than US$400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than US$550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly US$18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than US$175 million 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 (S$308 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15 per cent share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than US$600 million 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.
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Ronaldo suggested that 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.” REUTERS
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