Riyadh: Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo has officially become the first footballer in history to be listed as a billionaire, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index released on Wednesday.
Bloomberg estimates Ronaldo’s total net worth at USD 1.4 billion, making him the first active footballer to reach billionaire status based solely on his career earnings, sponsorship deals, and global business ventures.
Ronaldo’s record-breaking earnings are fueled by his lucrative contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr, reportedly worth more than USD 400 million, alongside massive lifetime endorsement deals with Nike, Armani, Herbalife, and Clear.
Over the course of his career, Ronaldo has earned more than USD 550 million in salaries and hundreds of millions more from commercial partnerships, making him one of the most marketable athletes in the world.
With this milestone, Ronaldo joins a small circle of billionaire athletes that includes Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tiger Woods, and Roger Federer. However, he is the first professional footballer to achieve the feat through career-generated wealth rather than inheritance.
Despite the honor, reports note that Brunei’s Faiq Bolkiah—a member of the Bruneian royal family and also a professional footballer—holds a higher net worth, though most of his fortune is inherited, not earned through sports.
Alongside his football career, Ronaldo has expanded his CR7 brand into clothing, fragrances, hotels, and gyms. Recently, he launched a wellness and longevity clinic in Saudi Arabia, further diversifying his investment portfolio.
Ronaldo, 40, continues to play for Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team, proving that both his sporting and financial legacies remain unmatched in the modern era of football.
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