Chalien Dantes/Contributor

Portuguese footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo just hit a whole new kind of goal, the financial kind. 

Bloomberg is reporting that Ronaldo has officially become the sport’s first billionaire player. At 40, the Portuguese forward and Al-Nassr star has racked up an estimated US$1.4 billion in total wealth, making him one of the richest athletes on the planet.

Bloomberg‘s deep dive into his finances took everything into account, from two decades of football paychecks to savvy investments and lucrative endorsement deals.

Between 2002 and 2023, Ronaldo reportedly earned over US$550 million just in salary. Then there’s the off-the-field money: a massive deal with Nike, whcu said to bring in around US$18 million a year, along with partnerships that cover everything from luxury watches to health drinks.

Things really exploded in 2022 when Ronaldo joined Saudi side Al-Nassr. His arrival came with headlines about a jaw-dropping £177 million yearly salary, making him the highest-paid footballer in history. That deal was already historic, and then he topped it. Bloomberg reports that Ronaldo recently extended his stay with a fresh two-year contract worth over $400 million. That’s right, he’ll be suiting up well into his 40s and getting paid more than ever.

Of course, no Ronaldo story is complete without a mention of his longtime rival, Lionel Messi. Bloomberg says Messi has brought in over US$600 million in pre-tax salary across his career. Since 2023, he’s been earning around $20 million per year at Inter Miami, which is about a tenth of what Ronaldo’s pulling in during the same stretch. But Messi’s future payday may come in other ways, like a slice of ownership in the MLS club once he hangs up his boots.