Ronaldo beats out Messi to become first $1-billion footballer

Juventus and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has the distinction of becoming the first footballer – and the first athlete in a team sport – to earn over $1 billion in his career, according to Forbes.

Ronaldo is ranked at No. 4 in the magazine’s list of the world’s highest-paid celebrities in 2020, beating out Barcelona’s Lionel Messi by one spot.

Only Kylie Jenner, Kanye West, and Roger Federer earned more than Ronaldo over the past year, with Forbes suggesting the 35-year-old made $105 million before taxes.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar ($95.5 million) and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James ($88.2 million) were the other athletes to feature in the top 10. The only other footballer on the list was Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, whose $35.1 million in earnings placed him 100th.

Ronaldo becomes just the third active athlete to eclipse $1 billion in career earnings, joining Floyd Mayweather and Tiger Woods, according to Forbes.

A recent study determined that Ronaldo pocketed over $2.3 million for four sponsored Instagram posts while on hiatus in his native Madeira, Portugal. Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram, boasting in excess of 221 million followers.

Ronaldo has profited from his CR7 lifestyle brand and a hotel name, and he also owns other properties, including a museum in Madeira.