Ronaldo Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Title: Ronaldo Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Last Updated: February 4, 2025
What is Ronaldo’s Net Worth and Salary?
Ronaldo, a retired Brazilian football player, possesses a net worth of $160 million. Often referred to as “R9” or “O Fenomeno” (The Phenomenon), he made a significant impact and earned considerable wealth in the world of football, despite a relatively brief period in the limelight. Renowned for his extraordinary goal-scoring ability, he led Brazil to a remarkable World Cup victory in 2002 and is credited with transforming the playing style of strikers. At the height of his career, Ronaldo was acknowledged as the leading player globally and remains one of the all-time greats today.
With three FIFA World Player of the Year awards and two Balon d’Or accolades to his name, he still holds the record as the youngest player to win the Balon d’Or, achieving this milestone at just 21 years old. Additionally, at the age of 20, he became the youngest recipient of the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Professional clubs were eager to pay substantial sums for his talents, and he broke the world record for transfer fees on two separate occasions.
In terms of scoring prowess, Ronaldo ranks among the highest-scoring players in history, netting 62 goals for Brazil—second only to Pele for the most in national history. By the age of 23, he had accumulated 200 goals for both club and country. However, his career experienced an abrupt decline due to a series of severe injuries. It seemed as though he vanished from the football scene just as quickly as he had risen to fame.
Following his retirement, Ronaldo became actively engaged in charitable endeavors, serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme. He also acted as an ambassador for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2018, he acquired a Spanish La Liga team, Real Valladolid, and in 2021, he obtained a controlling stake in Cruzeiro.
Early Life
Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima entered the world on September 18th, 1976, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Growing up with two siblings, he began playing soccer in the streets of Rio at a young age. After his parents’ divorce when he was 11, Ronaldo made the decision to leave school in pursuit of a professional soccer career. He started as a futsal player (indoor soccer), joining a youth league and quickly earning the title of the leading scorer throughout the city’s league, tallying an impressive 166 goals in his first season. Futsal played a crucial role in his development, honing the technical skills and close control of the ball that would later define his playing style. Sports agents quickly recognized his talent, leading to a contract offer.
Career
Ronaldo made his professional debut with Cruzeiro in Brazil in 1993. At just 16, he scored five goals in a single match, capturing international attention. He netted 44 goals in 47 matches during his debut season, earning a spot on Brazil’s World Cup squad in 1994, albeit as an unused substitute.
Following the World Cup, Ronaldo signed with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. He scored 30 goals in his first season, prompting discussions about his potential to become the greatest player ever at such a young age. Unfortunately, his second season at PSV was hindered by a knee injury. Before the 1996-1997 season, he transferred to Barcelona for a then-world-record fee of $19.5 million, where he scored an astounding 47 goals in all competitions during his first year, garnering a FIFA World Player of the Year Award by the end of 1996.
After just one season with Barcelona, Ronaldo transitioned to Inter Milan, once again setting a new world record with a transfer fee of $27 million. While he initially had to adjust to the Italian style of play in his first season, he eventually evolved into a more complete striker.
His time at Inter culminated in winning his first Ballon d’Or.
Entering the FIFA World Cup in 1998, Ronaldo was Brazil’s starting striker and was widely regarded as the best player globally. Throughout the tournament, he scored continuously until a convulsive fit nearly sidelined him from the final. Miraculously, he made a recovery just hours before the match, but appeared dazed, leading to Brazil’s defeat against France. Subsequently, a neurologist revealed that he should not have participated while experiencing seizure aftereffects.
In the years that followed, serious knee complications began to plague Ronaldo. In 2000, he experienced a complete rupture of his kneecap tendons, which kept him away from professional sports for nearly three years. Nonetheless, he made a comeback in 2002, aiding Brazil to win the World Cup. That same year, he signed with Real Madrid for 46 million Euros. Despite being one of the key players for Real, continuous injuries and weight challenges plagued his time in Madrid.
(Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
After representing Brazil one last time during the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo made a transfer to A.C. Milan in 2007 for 8.05 million Euros. The following year, he endured another major knee injury and soon joined the Brazilian team Corinthians. He officially announced his retirement in 2011, disclosing for the first time his struggle with hyperthyroidism, which explained his weight issues. Additionally, he acknowledged that after enduring numerous injuries, his body could no longer keep up, despite his mental desire to continue. His football career spanned 18 years.
Nike Contract
Ronaldo was swiftly signed by Nike to a highly lucrative contract. In 1996, he entered a 10-year contract alongside a lifetime brand endorsement deal valued at $180 million. Shortly after the agreement, Nike crafted the iconic Mercurial R9 soccer boots specifically for him. He debuted these boots during the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which led to their status as some of Nike’s best-selling boots. Over the years, similar Mercurial designs have been created for athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe. Furthermore, Ronaldo featured in various Nike commercials throughout the years.
Other Brand Endorsements
In addition to his association with Nike, Ronaldo appeared in numerous other commercials over time. Notable among them are his spots in Snickers and Pirelli ads, as well as his consistent presence in EA’s “FIFA” video game series.
Club Ownership
In 2018, news broke that Ronaldo had acquired a controlling interest in the La Liga club Real Valladolid. He invested approximately 30 million Euros to secure a 51% ownership stake in the team, thus becoming the majority owner. Following his acquisition, Ronaldo expressed his commitment to his managerial duties, stating his ambition to assemble “the best team possible.”
In December 2021, he bought a controlling stake in Cruzeiro, the club he grew up supporting, for 400 million reais (approximately $70 million at that time).
Personal Life
Ronaldo began a relationship with Brazilian model and actress Susana Werner in 1997, and they lived together in Milan until 1999. In December of that year, he married Brazilian footballer Milene Domingues, who was expecting their first child, but the couple divorced four years later. In 2005, he became engaged to Brazilian model and MTV VJ Daniela Cicarelli; however, the engagement lasted only three months. Later, in 2008, he got engaged to Maria Beatriz Antony, and together they had two daughters. In December 2010, a paternity test confirmed that Ronaldo fathered a boy named Alexander, born from a brief relationship with Brazilian waitress Michele Umezu, whom he initially met in Tokyo in 2002. Following the confirmation of his fourth child, Ronaldo underwent a vasectomy.
Ronaldo Net Worth (Money & Salary)
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Data is from 2023 and 2024, including forecast data for 2025 and 2026, with expansions to projections for 2027 and 2028.
* This information was taken from various sources around the world, including these countries:
Australia, Canada, USA, UK, UAE, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, US, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan.
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi.
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling Islands), Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia (Hrvatska), Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic.
Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Metropolitan, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories.
Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy.
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg.
Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar.
Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand (NZ), Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway.
Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe.
Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Helena, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria.
Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK (United Kingdom), USA (United States of America, U.S.), US Minor Outlying Islands.
Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State (Holy See), Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (US), Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Post Title: Ronaldo Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Last Updated: February 4, 2025