Cristiano Ronaldo changes retirement plan as he refuses to let go of Lionel Messi rivalry
Lionel Messi vies for a record eighth Ballon d’Or title on Monday following a stellar World Cup-winning year with Erling Haaland expected to be his stiffest competition for the crown. Meanwhile, there is no place for five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo among the nominees for the first time since 2003. Although the Portuguese star sits below his fierce rival in terms of career achievements he still tops his foe and every other Ballon d’Or winner for net worth.
Cristiano Ronaldo – £363million
Not only is Ronaldo the most popular sports star with approximately 876 million combined social media followers he is also the best-paid football player of all time. He rakes in a staggering £62m a year playing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr which rises to £173million per annum when the various commercial opportunities tied into his contract are taken into account.
The 38-year-old has a net worth of £363m and is sponsored by the likes of Nike, Armani, Tag Heuer, Egyptian Steel, Herbalife, Italia Independent, Clear, PokerStars and Castrol.
Lionel Messi – £105million
Messi’s net worth may be three times less than Ronaldo’s but he certainly isn’t lacking funds. The Argentine superstar earns £47m a year playing for David Beckham’s Inter Miami. Forbes estimates that his net worth was £105m at the start of the year which doesn’t take into account his big-money move state-side. He signed a lifetime contract with Adidas in 2017, worth £20.4million a year, and also owns several hotels in Ibiza, Mallorca, Baqueira and Sotogrande.
Kaka – £74million
Kaka was the last player to win the Ballon d’Or before Messi and Ronaldo’s reign of dominance. He won the award in 2007 after playing an instrumental role in AC Milan’s Champions League-winning campaign.
Despite retiring in 2017, the former Brazil international is still reportedly worth £74m having struck up several lucrative deals with Global smart technology company OPPO, American Tourister and Playstation to set him up for life after football.
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Karim Benzema – £62.5million
Current holder Karim Benzema comes in fourth place in the Ballon d’Or rich list. The Frenchman previously pocketed £275,000 a week playing for Spanish giants Real Madrid but is now earning £3.3m a week playing for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.
Benzema is worth £62.5m thanks to several money-spinning commercial deals. The biggest sponsor he has is with Adidas, whom he has been signed to for more than 10 years. He is also affiliated with Hyundai, EA Sports, Bwin and French companies LCL, and SFR.
Michael Owen – £54.4million
It may come as a surprise to see Michael Owen make the top five with a net worth of £54.5m but the Englishman hasn’t just earned his millions from football. The 43-year-old gets a good wage from his work as a pundit on BT Sport and is involved in breeding race horses. He founded the extremely commercially successful Manor House Stables, a racehorse training facility in Cheshire, with his wife Louise which earns the couple plenty of dough.
Just outside of the top five
Ronaldinho – Unknown
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