Cristiano Ronaldo - the first billionaire in football history

According to Bloomberg, Portuguese super striker Cristiano Ronaldo created a financial history: his wealth reached US$1.4 billion, and he was listed as a footballer in the agency's billionaires index for the first time. Thus, Ronaldo became the first leather ball player in history to reach this milestone.

By June 2025, a new deal worth over $400 million with Al-Nassr made Ronaldo one of the wealthiest sports stars in the world. According to estimates, he earned more than $550 million from his club career between 2002 and 2023.

Ronaldo's commercial deals are also very effective: he has a 10-year contract with Nike worth $18 million annually. Also, partnerships with Armani and Castrol increased his assets by another $175 million.

Since moving to Saudi Arabia, he has been receiving around $200 million in salary and bonuses annually (excluding taxes), plus a $30 million signing bonus. In short, the figures are not just records - this is a new stage in the football business.