Cristiano Ronaldo has had a stellar career in football since making his professional debut aged just 17 for Sporting Lisbon in 2003. Enormously successful spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, as well as dominating Portugal's international scene, has not only led him to being named as one of the greatest footballers of all time but also one of the richest.
Since moving back to Man Utd, the 36-year-old is reportedly on a £480,000-a-week contract which takes his annual earnings up to £25million.Five Ballon d’Ors have helped to boost his value and due to his footballing achievements, it has benefited him in extra money making outside of the game, as plenty of brands have wanted him as the face of their products.
It’s been reported that from Nike alone, he makes over $20million a year, and his career-long rivalry with Lionel Messi, who is sponsored by Adidas, is a huge factor behind this. With his impressive athletic physique, even as he approaches the latter stages of his career, as well as his attractive looks, he has been able to sign contracts with these brands in order to market himself further and dominate the scene outside of football.