Cristiano Ronaldo eclipses Messi to become football's first billionaire

Suraj Radia

Updated: 8 Oct 2025 08:31 CDT
3 min read

Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first billionaire footballer after his new contract at Al-Nassr pushed the Portuguese superstar past the historic benchmark.

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Ronaldo penned a two-year renewal with the Saudi Pro League side this 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), shooting him past rival Lionel Messi.

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 40-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.

Most of Ronaldo’s investments are based in Portugal such as hotel chains, gyms and a media group along with a large property portfolio including a luxury golf resort in Lisbon.

Ronaldo vs Messi: Which football star has a higher net worth?

Ronaldo joins the likes of David Beckham and Michael Jordan as sporting stars deemed to be billionaires, eclipsing the net worth of Messi despite the Argentine’s lucrative deal at Inter Miami.

© IMAGO - Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have had a strong rivalry on and off the pitch.

Messi is expected to pen an extension at Inter Miami in the coming weeks that would further increase his salary and also reportedly offer him ownership rights to the MLS franchise, drawing him closer to Ronaldo.

However, Messi’s guaranteed income in the last two seasons is said to be one tenth of Ronaldo’s during the same period, highlighting the gulf between the pair financially.

Messi is said to have earned over $600m (€515m) in pre-tax salary over his career and $20m (€17m) annually during his time at Inter Miami, however he has also secured lucrative sponsorship deals with companies such as Apple and Adidas.

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