The G.O.A.T. debate just got a whole lot richer. Cristiano Ronaldo has officially become the first soccer player to join the exclusive billionaire club, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. At 40 years old, the Portuguese superstar’s net worth has hit a staggering $1.4 billion, putting him in some seriously elite company.
So what pushed Ronaldo over that billion-dollar mark? Well, his massive contract extension with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr earlier this year certainly didn’t hurt. The deal, reportedly worth more than $400 million and tax-free, has been a game-changer for the veteran forward’s finances. That’s on top of an already jaw-dropping annual salary of around $200 million when he first joined the Saudi Pro League back in January 2023.
But here’s the thing – Ronaldo’s wealth isn’t just about kicking a ball around. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has a decade-long Nike deal bringing in nearly $18 million each year, plus endorsement contracts with brands like Armani and Castrol that have added over $175 million to his fortune. The guy’s built an empire off the field with his CR7 brand, real estate investments, and business ventures spanning multiple countries.
What really sets this achievement apart is that Ronaldo earned most of his fortune from actually playing the game, unlike some other billionaire athletes who made their billions primarily through business deals and investments. Between 2002 and 2023 alone, he raked in more than $550 million in player salaries.
Now Ronaldo joins basketball legends Michael Jordan and LeBron James, tennis icon Roger Federer, and golf great Tiger Woods in that ultra-exclusive billionaire athletes club. But don’t expect him to retire and count his money anytime soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” Ronaldo 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.”
The man’s got his eyes set on becoming the first footballer to score 1,000 official goals – he’s currently sitting at around 946. With 54 goals to go and Portugal’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers on the horizon, it looks like soccer’s first billionaire isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
