Cristiano Ronaldo at it again, becomes first football’s billionaire-Forbes

Precious Oluwaseyi

Known for beaking so many records in the past, Cristiano Ronaldo has done it again to becomes football’s first official billionaire and is the first-ever athlete to do so in a team sport.

This development, however, added to his numerous records in his career, as he achieved a special milestone after becoming football’s first official billionaire.

The Juventus superstar overtook longstanding rival Lionel Messi to regain the crown as football’s highest-paid player, Forbes announced last week.

The business magazine has now also confirmed that Ronaldo’s earnings of $105 million took his total career income to more than $1 billion.

Forbes pointed out that the 35-year-old has received $650 million in salary during his 17-year career so far, and is expected to reach $765 million when his current contract ends in June 2022.

The other $350 million to take his total income to more than $1 billion comes from sponsorship and endorsement deals.

No other footballer has come close to Ronaldo’s earnings, not even David Beckham, who ended his career with an estimated income of $500 million, half of which came from endorsement deals.

Ronaldo’s $105 million income in 2020 is based on basic salary and win bonuses worth $60 million, plus another $45 million from sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike and Herbalife, as well his own “CR7” brand.