Cristiano Ronaldo makes history as first billionaire footballer after hefty Saudi payday
Portuguese star joins ‘three comma club’ after signing new two-year deal with Al-Nassr worth almost £500 million
Cristiano Ronaldo has broken through another barrier, becoming the first active footballer in history to be a billionaire, with a net worth of a staggering £1.045 billion (US$1.35 billion).
The Portuguese star reportedly joined the ‘three comma club’ after signing another lucrative two-year deal with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, which the Bloomberg Billionaire Index placed at a tax-free £492 million.
And despite putting a mammoth gap between himself and Lionel Messi, whose net worth is a paltry £620 million in comparison, Ronaldo said he had no intention of slowing down.
The 40-year-old, who could qualify for another World Cup next week with Portugal and is the highest scorer in men’s international football with 144 goals in 223 appearances, said retirement was not on his agenda.
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“People, especially my family, say: ‘It’s time for you to stop. You’ve done everything. Why do you want to score a thousand goals?” he told Canal 11, the Portuguese Football Federation’s dedicated television channel.