Add another zero to soccer’s most expensive rivalry.



Cristiano Ronaldo earned $105 million before taxes and fees in the past year, landing him at No. 4 on the 2020&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;Celebrity 100, one spot above his top rival in the sport, Lionel Messi, and making him the first soccer player in history to earn $1 billion.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The 35-year-old striker is only the third athlete to hit mark while still playing following Tiger Woods, who did it in 2009 on the back of his long term endorsement deal with Nike&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/nike" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NKE</a>, and Floyd Mayweather in 2017, who’s made most of his income from a cut of pay-per-view sales for his boxing matches.&nbsp;



Ronaldo, the first to do it in a team sport, has made $650 million during his 17 years on the pitch, and is expected to reach $765 million in career salary after his current contract ends in June 2022. Messi, who began playing at the senior level three years after Ronaldo, has earned a total of $605 million in salary since 2005. The only team athlete to even come within striking distance of those figures was former New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, who retired in 2016 after 22 years in MLB having earned $450 million in salary. Not even soccer legend David Beckham came close, ending his career with total earnings of $500 million, half of which came from off-pitch endorsements. 



“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time, in the world&#8217;s most popular sport, in an era when football has never been so rich,” said Sporting Intelligence’s Nick Harris, whose Global Sports Salaries Survey ranks teams worldwide based on total salary expense. “He&#8217;s box office.&#8221;



Ronaldo and Messi’s head-to-heads heated up in Spain’s La Liga in 2009, where Ronaldo played for Real Madrid and Messi for Barcelona. Their faceoffs on the pitch ignited a nine-year battle for bragging rights as the best — and top-paid — in the sport, a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2019/06/18/the-worlds-highest-paid-soccer-players-2019-messi-ronaldo-and-neymar-dominate-the-sporting-world/#2f9e5b76b55e">highly personal</a> tit-for-tat that had them re-negotiating contracts in lockstep and monopolizing the game’s highlight reel. 



The rivalry was as entertaining as it was profitable, coming just as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2019/05/29/the-worlds-most-valuable-soccer-teams-2019/#1a0fa8ff40d6">clubs around the world</a>&nbsp;were seeing soaring attendance and an influx of television money. The two were perfectly matched for battle, on and off the pitch: Ronaldo perfected a shirtless, stylized showmanship while Messi played the quiet game, always a tad unkempt and as prolific a scorer as he was a wingman. Ronaldo strutted after every goal. Messi was a master at thanking his teammates.&nbsp;



Both backed it up. Barcelona won the La Liga title six times and two Champions Leagues trophies with Messi on the squad. Real Madrid won the Spanish title twice and the Champions League four times with Ronaldo. During their years in the league, each player nabbed four Ballon d’Ors (soccer’s MVP) and their El Classicos, the nickname for their clubs fierce clashes, were record-setting television events worldwide.&nbsp;



But when it came to leveraging celebrity, it has been no contest. Guided by Jorge Mendes of Gestifute, one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbelzer/2019/10/21/most-powerful-sports-agents/#1cc52df93b27">world’s most powerful agents</a>, Ronaldo has amassed an ever-growing following of fans and consumers drawn to his poster-boy good looks, trend-setting hair styles, impeccable fashion sense and, lately, his softer side as a family man whose toddlers pop up on his social media posts. In January he became the first person with 200 million followers on Instagram, part of a social media army of 427 million across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that makes him the most popular athlete on the planet.&nbsp;



Nike pays him upwards of $20 million annually and signed him to a lifetime deal in 2016, making him just the third athlete after Michael Jordan and LeBron James hitched to the Swoosh for eternity. In May, the footwear maker announced the release of a 10-year anniversary edition of his first signature Mercurial Superfly and a child’s version to celebrate his son’s 10th birthday, complete with his famous celebration stance, signature and logo. Pitches for Clear shampoo, Herbalife <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/herbalife" target="_blank">HLF</a>, and pharmaceutical maker Abbott help raise his endorsement tally to $45 million.



Ronaldo, Inc. even has a trademark — CR7, a mix of his initials and jersey number — part of a lifestyle brand that&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;estimates accounts for a quarter of his annual endorsement income, including branded underwear that debuted in 2013 that was followed by a line of shoes, fragrances and denim wear. He partnered with Pestana Hotel Group in 2015 to open his first property a year later in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira, right above Museu CR7, a shrine for his trophies and a retail outlet for his merchandise. He’s since added CR7 clubs with Crunch Fitness, posts workout routines on YouTube and has attached his name to a social media influencing degree offered by Italian online university eCampus.



And the rivalry is far from done.



Ronaldo’s 2020 earnings include a salary of $60 million, slightly less than last year due to a 30% pay cut he agreed to take this April as a result of the pandemic. Messi, who earned $104 million in the past year after taking a 70% pay cut while coronavirus sidelined play, is poised to surpass $1 billion in all-time earnings as soon as next year, before his current Barca contract ends.



&#8211;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/">Christina Settimi</a>, Forbes Staff, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sportsmoney">SportsMoney</a>

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Ronaldo’s $105 Million Year Tops Messi And Crowns Him Soccer’s First Billion-Dollar Man

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Paris Saint-Germain has <a href="https://en.psg.fr/pro/article/neymar-jr-signs-with-paris-saint-germain" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">officially signed Neymar</a> to a 5-year playing contract, ending a saga that had consumed the summer transfer market. The club will present the 25-year-old superstar at the Parc des Princes on Friday at 1:30 p.m. local time.
FC Barcelona had released the Brazilian earlier this afternoon, announcing it accepted a $263 million (€222 million)  buy-out payment in full in an online <a href="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/news/2017-2018/fc-barcelona-communique-on-neymar-jr-buyout-clause" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement</a>. This came just hours after La Liga offices said it originally rejected that payment, <a href="http://www.espnfc.com/soccer-transfers/story/3171271/la-liga-refuses-to-accept-psg-cash-for-barcelonas-neymar" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ESPN FC reported</a>. No reason was immediately known, though speculation was Barca requested UEFA to investigate how PSG could finance the transfer under fair pay rules.
Neymar informed his former club of his desire to go to the French capital just yesterday, the Catalonian club confirmed the on its <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2725222-barcelona-confirm-neymars-desire-to-leave-amid-psg-talk-demand-eur222m-fee" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">website</a>. In that same statement the club also reminded him it expects to be paid his buy-out clause in its entirety. The player was relieved from practice until the matter was resolved.
The fee PSG paid is a new transfer record, more than double the previous $120 million <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbymcmahon/2017/07/31/neymars-move-to-psg-will-set-a-world-record-and-trigger-more-high-priced-transfers/#47bb246e31f7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba</a> one year ago, and 3.5 times what <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2013/06/05/neymar-ranks-ninth-on-list-of-soccers-most-expensive-player-transfers/#1eec8042372d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Barcelona paid to acquire Neymar</a> from Brazilian team Santos just four years ago.
<a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/sport/2017/07/13/full-list-worlds-50-valuable-sports-teams-2017/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full List: The World’s 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2017</a>
In addition, PSG confirmed it signed Neymar to a 5-year contract through June 2022 (five months before the World Cup in club owner&#8217;s country of Qatar) and is estimated to pay him $350 million in salary and bonus before-tax. All told the Parisian club is on the hook for a cash outlay in excess of $600 million for the winger’s services.
It is easy to see why Barca, which <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2017/07/18/fc-barcelona-posts-highest-revenue-in-the-history-of-sports-at-770-million/#5b55df77e825" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">posted a record $770 million in revenue</a> last year and is worth $3.64 billion as the second most valuable soccer club in the world, questioned how PSG could complete this transfer in compliance with UEFA Financial Fair Play rules. The Ligue 1 runner-up only generated $92 million in operating income and is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/teams/paris-saint-germain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">worth $841 million</a>. FFP limits club losses and contributions owners can spend to sign players.
But as my colleague <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2017/07/22/oil-money-would-finance-neymars-move-to-paris-saint-germain-from-barcelona/#68a33a246c1f" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mike Ozanian reports</a>, PSG owners Qatar Sports Investments’ influential oil money may have something to do with it. After the Qataris purchased the club they <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/27/sports/soccer/with-paris-saint-germain-qatar-is-a-player-in-french-sports.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pumped an additional $340 million</a> into it to recruit high-profile players, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Success followed. Since then, it has claimed the Ligue 1 title four times and was runner-up once. Financial disparity followed too. <a href="https://www.globalsportssalaries.com/GSSS%202016.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Per Sporting Intelligence’s annual Global Sports Salaries Survey 2016</a>, PSG now leads the league in salary cost, paying an average $5.5 million per player, 21.5 times the average pay at Nancy, the club with the smallest average team salary. It’s the widest discrepancy in any major sport league in the world.
<a href="http://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20170729/43183276749/neymar-china-qatar-barcelona-psg-clausula.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mundo Deportivo reported</a> QSI was willing to pay Neymar $350 million to be an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup to circumvent any FFP issues. Suspicious minds wondered if the Brazilian would then turn around and pay his own buy-out clause and save PSG the financial responsibility. What&#8217;s know as of now is Neymar&#8217;s &#8220;legal representatives&#8221; presented payment to Barcelona, and it is up to UEFA to investigate the transaction.
Regardless, Neymar now quadruples his take-home pay for his work on the pitch. Last season he made $15 million in salary and bonus from Barca. Combined with the $22 million he made in endorsements from the likes of Nike, Gillette, and Panasonic among others, he ranked <a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/5924841ba7ea434078d44dcf/2-lionel-messi-barcelona-/#652a80c922ce" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">No. 3 among the world’s highest paid soccer players</a> with total earnings of $37 million last year.
Read More: <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2017/05/26/the-worlds-highest-paid-soccer-players-2017-cristiano-ronaldo-lionel-messi-lead-the-list/#15dbdd94210e" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The World&#8217;s Highest-Paid Soccer Players</a>
Now this move could see his total earnings skyrocket to $93 million, and could propel him ahead of teammate and record 5-time FIFA player of the year <a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/5924841ba7ea434078d44dcf/2-lionel-messi-barcelona-/#652a80c922ce" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lionel Messi,</a> who earned $80 million last season, and possibly ahead of reigning and 4-time player of the year Real Madrid <a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/5924841ba7ea434078d44dcf/1-cristiano-ronaldo-real-/#19aa1c63730a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> who earned $93 million in the top spot among the sport’s highest paid. He could also leapfrog into the top 5 <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/sport/2017/06/09/ronaldo-lebron-top-worlds-highest-paid-athletes-2017/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">world’s highest paid athletes</a> with Ronaldo and the NBA’s LeBron James, right behind Floyd Mayweather and Connor McGregor, who each stand to bank an obscene 9-figure amount from their August 26 spectacle.
Nike could influence where he lands among athletes richest. It is already rumored the company was involved in his talks with PSG. Both athlete and club have sponsorship deals with the Swoosh.
Sources previously confirmed to Forbes that Neymar was looking to renegotiate this boot contract, noting his 7-figure annual haul is below market value, especially considering how often the international superstar pitches the brand to his 165 million followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. According to <a href="http://www.hookit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hookit</a>, which tracks the social engagement of athletes, he generated $124.5 million in media value for his sponsors across social media during 2016. That was second only to Ronaldo, who generated $937 million in value for his sponsors promoting them to his 277 million social media followers.
It would come as no surprise if a renewed shoe deal announcement comes on the heels of Neymar’s club contract. For perspective, LeBron and Ronaldo are the only two active athletes with lifetime deals with Nike, both worth upwards of $1 billion. &#8211; Written by <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Christina Settimi</a>, FORBES STAFF

Tag: Ronaldo

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Ronaldo’s $105 Million Year Tops Messi And Crowns Him Soccer’s First Billion-Dollar Man

The World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2019: Messi, Ronaldo And Neymar Dominate The Sporting World

Neymar Signs With PSG, Set To Become World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Player Ahead Of Messi And Ronaldo