Cristiano Ronaldo is First Soccer Billionaire; Is Lionel Messi Next?

• Bloomberg has deemed Cristiano Ronaldo to be the first billionaire soccer player in history.
• Ronaldo’s net worth is reportedly $1.4 billion.
• Lionel Messi could be the next soccer player to reach $1 billion, as he’ll receive a stake in Inter Miami when he retires.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the first soccer player in history to reach a billion dollars, with a reported net worth of $1.4 billion.

Ronaldo’s rival, Lionel Messi, could be the next player to get there with an ownership stake in Inter Miami.

Between Salary and Sponsorships, Ronaldo Broke Through the Billion-Dollar Ceiling

There are various reports stating that Ronaldo reached the billion-dollar mark, via the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The 40-year-old soccer legend and Portugal captain has reportedly made over $550 million between 2002 and 2023. But Ronaldo has also had a sponsorship deal with Nike for at least a decade. That deal is worth $18 million per year.

Ronaldo also moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Nassr in 2022, and originally made over $275 million per year. It was easily the biggest contract in soccer history.

But after toying with the idea of leaving, Ronaldo agrees to a new two-year contract in June worth more than $400 million. That contract is set to run out in June 2027.

Ronaldo is still playing at a high level in Saudi Arabia, scoring 104 goals in 117 games. He has five goals in six games so far to start the 2025-26 campaign. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner could feasibly keep going past his next contract, adding to his massive bank account!

Could his longtime rival, Lionel Messi, be the next soccer billionaire?

Could Lionel Messi Reach the Billion-Dollar Mark?

Messi, who holds the record with eight Ballon d’Or wins, is still plying his trade in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami. The Argentinean captain is worth somewhere between $600 million and $850 million, depending on which site you go to. He makes $135 million a year at Inter Miami.

But where Messi could close the gap on his rival is when he retires. Messi will reportedly receive an ownership stake in Inter Miami when he hangs up his boots. The club is worth $1.2 billion, according to Forbes, and a lot of that has to do with Messi, who has been at the club since 2023. The 38-year-old Messi is still dominating MLS, with 66 goals and 34 assists in 80 games for Inter Miami.

Messi is the most likely soccer player to reach the billion-dollar mark. Inter Miami would love to extend his contract, and Messi is still playing at an extremely high level. If nothing else, it adds yet another chapter to the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry.

But when he retires, Messi will almost definitely make it to $1 billion, if he hasn’t already!