Cristiano Ronaldo (40) has become the first billionaire football player according to the latest rankings released by Bloomberg.
Ronaldo’s net worth was pegged at $1.4bn (£1.04bn) from career earnings, investments and endorsements.
Bloomberg says the Portugal captain earned more than $550m (£410m) in salary between 2002 and 2023, and breaks down his reported earnings through deals and sponsorship, including a decade-long deal with Nike worth almost $18m (£13.4m) a year.
His perceived rival, Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, who played against Ronaldo for many years during their time in Spain, has earned more than $600m (£447m) in pre-tax salary during his career, according to Bloomberg.
That includes $20m (£15m) in guaranteed annual pay since 2023, which is about 10% of Ronaldo’s income during the same period.
