Cristiano Ronaldo is the first soccer player to become a billionaire, according to Bloomberg's Billionaire's Index. The Portuguese superstar is reportedly worth $1.4 billion.
Ronaldo's net worth is largely due to the high salary he earns at Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr. He's paid a world-record $225 million per year by the club and makes another $50 million in off-field earnings, according to Forbes, which earlier this year named him the highest-paid athlete for the third year in a row.
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He's used his status as one of the best soccer players to invest and partner with companies like fitness tech company Whoop, supplement brand Bioniq, and Portuguese porcelain manufacturer Vista Alegre.
Ronaldo has a multiyear partnership with Binance to create and sell non-fungible tokens inspired by his career, including a Ronaldo coin. In addition to a lifetime deal with Nike (NYSE:NKE), he's been featured in campaigns for TAG Heuer, Armani, and Louis Vuitton.
There's also his CR7 brand that includes clothing, fragrances, and partnerships with hotels around the world.
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Begging for food as a child
Ronaldo grew up in a poor family with an alcoholic father, he told Piers Morgan in 2019. He left his family home at 12 to play for Portuguese soccer club Sporting Lisbon's youth team, which provided him with room and board but not much else.
Ronaldo would ask local McDonald's workers for food at the end of the night. A woman named Edna and two other women would give him the burgers that didn't sell by closing time.
"It's something that I never forgot," Ronaldo told Morgan.
Ronaldo's road to international fame
Ronaldo's soccer skills were apparent at a young age. His talents earned him a spot at English club Manchester United (NYSE:MANU) at 18, where he quickly became one of the best players in the world.
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His rise to superstardom didn't truly start until his 2009 move to Spanish club Real Madrid, the world's most valuable soccer team, according to Forbes. Madrid paid a then-world record fee of 80 million euros ($92 million) for Ronaldo, who became one of the most prolific goal scorers in history during his time at the club.
His accomplishments there helped him secure many of his brand partnerships and endorsements, and made him the most-followed person on Instagram with more than 667 million followers.
Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in 2023 following a three-year stint at Italian club Juventus and a brief return to Manchester United.
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Image: Shutterstock
