Ronaldo, Messi and Beckham: How Football Produced Its First Billionaires

For most of football's history, even the greatest players retired wealthy but not extraordinarily rich. Three players are now estimated to have crossed the billion-dollar threshold, and their paths show how the economics of elite sport have shifted.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, is estimated to be worth about $1.2 billion and is the world's highest-paid athlete. In the 2026-27 season, he is projected to earn about $300 million before taxes and agents' fees, including about $250 million from his club, Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, and about $50 million from endorsements and businesses.

He is also the only active player estimated to have passed $2 billion in career earnings. Lionel Messi, 39, is estimated to be worth about $1.1 billion, with about $1.8 billion in career earnings and more than $600 million of that from endorsements and business interests.

He is projected to earn about $145 million this year, roughly half from Inter Miami and half from commercial activity. David Beckham, who retired in 2013, has become Britain's first billionaire sportsman.

Together with his wife, Victoria, the family's wealth isestimated at £1.185 billion ($1.58 billion), driven largely by his co-ownership of Inter Miami, now valued at about $1.4 billion, and long-running brand partnerships. Three Different Routes to a Billion The three fortunes illustrate distinct models.

Ronaldo: the highest salary in sports. Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia in 2023 transformed his earnings.