The Juventus superstar’s move to Italy, his big-money club contracts, his sponsorship deals, the rise of the CR7 brand and how he has adapted his use of social media have created the perfect storm.
Cristiano Ronaldo has made it. Nope, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner hasn’t added another title to his long list of accolades. Instead the Juventus superstar has finally become football’s first billionaire.
The Portuguese captain was on the verge of joining the $1bn club – which, in terms of active sports stars, features just Floyd Mayweather and Tiger Woods (Michael Jordan having made much of his fortune via Nike after his playing days).
And now, Ronaldo is there. In 2019, Ronaldo hauled in £88million ($109m) as football’s second highest paid player – behind long-time rival Lionel Messi. Now Forbes latest list has Ronaldo landing another £85m ($108m), thus ensuring he is the first footballer to earn $1billion during his playing career.
