Messi, Ronaldo join football's billionaire's club as World Cup 2026 nears

Football’s biggest stars who have long reshaped the sport’s rules, have joined the billionaire’s club, according to The Sun.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, and Lionel Messi, 38, are officially billionaires as they head into a World Cup season staged across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

For Lionel Messi, a World Cup title in North America would be another crowning achievement after Argentina’s triumph in Qatar 2022. 

Meanwhile Ronaldo views this summer as a last, best shot at lifting football’s premier prize.

Forbes has since outlined Messi’s astonishing career earnings, estimated at roughly Ksh. 180 Billion (£1.2 billion) from contracts with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami. 

His counterpart, Ronaldo’s on-field earnings sky-rocketed after his move to Al-Nassr in 2023, with a reported Sh2.6 Trillion (£178 million) a year salary plus bonuses pushing his playing income into the Trillions.

Even before tax and agent fees, both players’ sponsorships keep their annual incomes in the hundreds of billions (tens of millions). 

Ronaldo also leads off-field earnings, pulling in about Sh7.2 Billion (£48 million) annually from social media alone, alongside deals with Nike, Herbalife, and his CR7 brand. 

Messi’s commercial ties including Pepsi, Hard Rock, and a lifetime Adidas contract, contributes around Sh6.6 Billion (£44 million) yearly.
The assessment places Ronaldo at roughly Sh210 Billion (£1.4 billion) and Messi at about Sh180 Billion (£1.2 billion) in net worth, highlighting their status as two of the wealthiest footballers ever. 

They join an elite club that already includes David Beckham, who was reported to have joined the Sh150 Billion (£1 billion) club in May. 

As Ronaldo and Messi prepare for what could be their final World Cups, the coveted trophy remains the last major prize to complete their remarkable legacies. 

The Portuguese national, Cristiano Ronaldo is now officially the highest paid athlete in the world, earning around Sh38 Billion ($300 Million) yearly. Portugal is now set to open their campaign versus the DR Congo on June 17 at NRG Stadium in Texas. 

Fans of both the players were in support, @vesla_steve, commented, “CR7 the goat, as he should” and @NotUrKev, said this about Lionel Messi, “From a kid in Rosario who needed medical assistance to play football, to a literal self-made billionaire through pure genius on the pitch. The ultimate football fairytale is complete”