Cristiano Ronaldo the first ever footballer to hit the $1 billion income mark
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first ever football player to hit the $1 billion income mark.
The Juventus super star became the first-ever to achieve this feat after he made $105 million in 2020.
The former Manchester United star who tops Forbe’s highest-earning football stars list but came second after Roger Federer in the highest-earning athlete chart has one more record over his rival, Lionel Messi.
Currently, Cristiano Ronaldo has made $650 million on the pitch during his 17 years as a pro and is expected to reach $765 million in career salary with his current contract, which ends in June 2022.
He became the first ever footballer to reach the $1 billion income mark and also the first person in team sports to achieve this feat.
He is is also the just the third athletes in history after Michael Jordan and LeBron James on Nike’s lifetime contract.
Cristiano Ronaldo is only the third athlete to hit the mark while still playing, following Tiger Woods, who did it in 2009 on the back of his long-term endorsement deal with Nike NKE, and Floyd Mayweather, who did it in 2017 and has made most of his income from a cut of pay-per-view sales for his boxing matches.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, who started his professional career two years after Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to the reach the $1 billion mark but very close.
The Barcelona superstar who finished second behind Cristiano Ronaldo this year rival has earned a total of $605 million in salary since 2005 when he turned professional.
By next year, the Argentine superstar will also join his sport rival on the list of footballers to hit the $1 billion mark.
