NEW YORK,- Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has turned into the first football billionaire, with his net worth estimated at $1.4 billion, Bloomberg reports.
The agency added the Portuguese forward to its Bloomberg Billionaires Index after valuing his wealth for the first time.
Bloomberg notes that for a long time, Ronaldo earned about the same as Argentina’s Lionel Messi, his main rival in football, but they diverged sharply in 2023. That was when Ronaldo signed a record contract of $200 million with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr football club; the contract, extended in June, is now estimated at over $400 million. As for Messi, he has been part of the US team Inter Miami since 2023; his wage isn’t as high as Ronaldo’s but he is set to earn a stake in the club once he retires. According to Bloomberg, the deal could again put him on par with his long-time rival.
Ronaldo, 40, has won five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship, and two Nations Leagues. He is the top scorer in the history of national football teams, the European Championship, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup. Ronaldo is also the first football player in history to net 900 goals in official matches.
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