Messi's billionaire status confirmed: Ronaldo matched by Inter Miami star

News

Martin Macdonald | Writer

Content writer covering football, formula 1 and movies

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are perennial rivals on and off the pitch and even around the age of 40, there's still an element of rivalry in their respective career paths.

Last year, CR7 officially became the first footballer to reach billionaire status and now Messi has reached that level of wealth, according to Forbes.

The Argentine has reached billionaire status through a combination of huge football earnings, endorsement income, and long-term investments. His playing contracts at Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami gave him massive salary income over many years, but that was only the foundation of his wealth.

The bigger boost came from his commercial value. Messi has been one of the most recognisable athletes in the world for 20 years, and brands were willing to pay premium money to be associated with him. His relationship with Adidas has been especially important, and deals like that can become just as valuable as a club salary because they keep paying over many years and across global markets.

Winning major trophies, especially the World Cup in 2022, helped keep his brand power high, which in turn made him even more valuable to sponsors and commercial partners.

On top of that, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has built wealth through business interests and investments, including real estate and other assets.

His guaranteed salary at Inter Miami is $28.33 million a year, including a $25 million base salary plus high bonuses that can take it to $70m annually. After he retires from the club, he'll be given the opportunity to invest in it.

He's now just the fourth athlete in history to become a billionaire while still active in their sport after Ronaldo, LeBron James and Tiger Woods. David Beckham is a billionaire, too, but that wealth came years after he retired.

As for Ronaldo, he penned a two-year renewal with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia last summer in a deal believed to be worth $200 million (€172m) per year as a basic salary, with around €30m also received as a signing-on bonus.

The increase in wealth was profiled by Bloomberg, who have revealed Ronaldo to be the first footballer in their Billionaires Index after his wealth climbed to $1.4bn (€1.2bn).

Ronaldo’s wages in Saudi Arabia are tax free, while his new contract is believed to have seen him secure a 15% equity stake in Al-Nassr as well as perks such as private jet access.

The 41-year-old is said to have earned over $550m (€472m) in salary between 2002 and 2023, while his endorsement deals with companies such as Nike, Armani and Castrol have added $175m (€150m) to his net worth.

Both Messi and Ronaldo will make history at this summer's World Cup by becoming the only two footballers to have played in six tournaments in a row.

Should Argentina defend the World Cup in 2026, we could be treated to another memory of Messi's famous celebration, pointing to the sky.

If we don't see it in real life again, you can keep your own memory of it with LEGO's official Lionel Messi Argentina celebration set.

The FIFA World Cup 2026™ is set to be the biggest tournament in the competition’s history, and LEGO^© is tapping into football fever with a new range designed for supporters, collectors and younger fans alike.