Ronaldo’s fortune tops $1.4 billion after Saudi contract

Cristiano Ronaldo’s net worth has climbed above $1.4 billion, making him soccer’s first billionaire by Bloomberg’s October 2025 estimate. The milestone reflects a career built on elite playing contracts, global endorsements and a Saudi club deal that Bloomberg valued at more than $400 million.

Ronaldo, 41, renewed his contract with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, a package Bloomberg reported was tax-free and worth more than $400 million. Fortune reported that the agreement also included a 15% stake in the club.

The Portugal forward built his playing reputation at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, and Fortune described him as the all-time leading scorer for Portugal’s national team. Bloomberg estimated that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in player salaries from 2002 through 2023.

Endorsements added to playing income

Ronaldo’s commercial appeal has made him one of the most valuable athlete endorsers in sports. His Instagram account has more than 669 million followers, and Fortune reported that he has the largest personal following on the platform.

Bloomberg reported that Ronaldo earns nearly $18 million a year from a long-term Nike agreement. The same estimate said campaigns with brands including Armani and Castrol have added more than $175 million to his wealth.

Fortune reported that Ronaldo has also worked with Binance, Tag Heuer, Samsung, Unilever and Louis Vuitton. He owns the CR7 brand, which sells products including fragrances, underwear, footwear and bottled mineral water.

Bloomberg said Ronaldo has investments in hotels, gyms and a media group, though those holdings account for a smaller share of his fortune than his salary and endorsements. That sets him apart from some other billionaire athletes whose wealth came mostly from equity stakes or businesses outside competition.

From Madeira to global wealth

Ronaldo has described growing up with little money on Madeira, the Portuguese island where he was raised as the youngest of four children. In a 2019 interview with ITV, he said that when he was 11 or 12, his family did not have money.

Fortune reported that Ronaldo’s father struggled with alcoholism and that his mother had considered ending the pregnancy because of the family’s financial situation. Ronaldo told ITV that he and his siblings sometimes waited outside a McDonald’s late at night hoping workers would give them leftover burgers.

Ronaldo is now part of a small group of athletes whose wealth has crossed the billion-dollar mark. Fortune compared him with Roger Federer and Michael Jordan, whose fortunes were built in different ways.

Federer became a billionaire after earning a little more than $130 million in tennis prize money, according to Fortune, with much of his wealth tied to a 3% stake in Swiss shoe company On that is now worth about $500 million. Forbes estimates Jordan’s wealth at about $4.3 billion, helped by Nike and Gatorade deals, a NASCAR ownership stake and a minority stake in the Charlotte Hornets.

Forbes reported in June 2026 that Lionel Messi had also become a billionaire. Bloomberg’s earlier estimate placed Ronaldo first among soccer players to reach that threshold.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.