Cristiano Ronaldo: The First Billionaire Footballer Defying All Notions
Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t just the world’s wealthiest soccer player; he’s also the first footballer to attain billionaire status. According to Forbes, in 2020, he became the inaugural active team sport athlete to break the $1 billion mark in career earnings. He has certainly left behind any notions of financial struggles that he might have faced earlier in his life.
Presently, he owns no less than 8 residences and is in the process of constructing a retirement estate, amassing an empire of assets worth well over $54 million. From possessing the exclusive $10.7 million Bugatti Centodieci to curating a collection of high-end automobiles, Ronaldo is unabashedly living the opulent lifestyle of the top 1%. 
The Portuguese forward stands as the third athlete ever to cross the billion-dollar threshold, and he’s the first to do so within a team sport. Preceding him, the likes of golfing icon Tiger Woods and boxing sensation Floyd Mayweather had achieved this rarefied financial milestone. 
Heading Forbes’ “Highest-Paid Soccer Players in the World for 2021” list, Ronaldo earned a staggering $125 million in cumulative income over the past 12 months. It’s noteworthy that Ronaldo was once spotted donning a Jacob & Co Caviar watch, encrusted with an astonishing 400 diamonds, with an approximate value of $2.5 million.
