Forbes: Ronaldo becomes first footballer to earn $1bn

Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus and Portuguese star, has become the first footballer to earn $1 billion, according to Forbes magazine, putting him ahead of Lionel Messi, his Barcelona counterpart.

According to the list, released on Thursday, the 35-year-old former Real Madrid and Manchester United earned $105 million in the past 12 months, placing him on the number four spot on Forbes’ highest-paid celebrities list for 2020.

Ronaldo was behind only Kylie Jenner, US media personality, who topped the list with a total earning of $590 million; Kanye West, US rapper, who came second on the chart with $170 million and Roger Federer, Swiss professional tennis player, who occupied the third spot with $106.3 million.

The feat makes Ronaldo the first footballer to reach the $1 billion mark; the third athlete to do so while still active — following Tiger Woods and Floyd Mayweather — and the first to do so playing in a team sport.

Cristiano Ronaldo earned $105 million in the past year, landing him at No. 4 on the 2020 Forbes #Celeb100 list, one spot above Lionel Messi—and making him the first soccer player in history to earn $1 billion https://t.co/QVNG43uqFw pic.twitter.com/YnuvRHxDOX

— Forbes (@Forbes) June 4, 2020

“Cristiano Ronaldo earned $105 million before taxes and fees in the past year, landing him at No. 4 on the 2020 Forbes 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,” Forbes wrote.

“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, and Floyd Mayweather in 2017, who’s made most of his income from a cut of pay-per-view sales for his boxing matches.”

Below is the top 10 highest-paid celebrities of 2020:

• Kylie Jenner – $590 million
• Kanye West – $170 million
• Roger Federer – $106.3 million
• Cristiano Ronaldo – $105 million
• Lionel Messi – $104 million
• Tyler Perry – $97 million
• Neymar – $95.5 million
• Howard Stern – $90 million
• LeBron James – $88.2 million
• Dwayne Johnson – $87.5 million

Ronaldo is expected to return to action on the pitch when Serie A resumes June 20.