Billionaire Ronaldo

The Portuguese star became the first billionaire in football history, joining Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Tiger Woods - icons of the player-brand era.

Cristiano Ronaldo crossed all limits of football.

More than two decades since leaving Madeira to join Sporting Lisbon, Cristiano Ronaldo has transcended all boundaries of football. From a skilled right-winger at Manchester United, he has transformed into a devastating goalscoring machine, winning five Champions League titles and five Ballon d'Ors. But perhaps the greatest thing Ronaldo has built is not the number of goals - but an empire called CR7.

At 40, when most of his colleagues have hung up their boots, Ronaldo is still running, still scoring, still setting new goals: the 2026 World Cup and a thousand career goals. His new two-year contract in Saudi Arabia is just the next step on a path he has written himself – an ambitious final chapter.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Ronaldo’s fortune has reached $1.4 billion , making him the first footballer in history to reach the billionaire threshold. He joins an elite group including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer – athletes who have transcended sports to become global cultural icons.

For a long time, Ronaldo has not only made money from football. His CR7 brand now covers fashion , hotels, real estate, gyms and digital content production.

The Portuguese are still waiting for Ronaldo to end his career with a world championship.

With hundreds of millions of followers on social media, Ronaldo earns tens of millions of dollars each year just from advertising and online campaigns. CR7 is now not just a player – but a mobile corporation, carrying the appeal of a country.

“In the digital age, players like Cristiano are more powerful than big brands. Cristiano Ronaldo is the biggest brand in the world – one person, one empire,” said Andre Bernardo, vice president of Sporting Lisbon, at the Portugal Football Summit.

Ronaldo has never forgotten where he started. Sporting was the starting point, where his mother, Maria Dolores, placed her faith in the slim 12-year-old. Two decades later, the “child of Lisbon” has become the symbol that has made Portugal famous across the planet.

There are rumours that he will end his career at Sporting, when his contract in Saudi Arabia ends in 2027. By then, Ronaldo will be 42 – an age most players only remember. But in Lisbon, that door will always be open.

The Portuguese are still waiting for Ronaldo to end his career with a world championship, to complete the legendary collection of titles: Euro 2016, Nations League 2019, and then - World Cup 2026. If that comes true, Ronaldo will reach the full height that even Lionel Messi - friend and rival - once reached in Qatar 2022.

To the world, he is a superstar. To Portugal, he is a source of pride. To this era, Cristiano Ronaldo is proof that a player can become a brand, a culture, and an immortal icon.

Source: https://znews.vn/ty-phu-ronaldo-post1594052.html