Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have just crossed a historic financial milestone, each joining an exclusive club of active team‑sport athletes whose net worth exceeds one billion dollars. The achievement marks a turning point for soccer, a sport where on‑field brilliance is now translating into off‑field fortunes on an unprecedented scale.
The Billionaire Shift in Soccer
Ronaldo’s ascent to billionaire status is tied closely to his lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, where he now commands a salary that places him among the highest‑paid sportspersons worldwide. In 2025 his earnings pushed his wealth past the $1 billion threshold, and forecasts suggest he will rake in roughly $300 million next year, potentially securing the title of the highest‑paid athlete across all sports.
Messi’s financial narrative differs in its mix of long‑term contracts and savvy investments. The Argentine star earns up to $80 million annually from his club deal and derives additional income from his ownership stake in Inter Miami, a venture that has already begun to reshape the MLS landscape. Analysts estimate his net worth at about $1.1 billion, a figure that could have risen even faster had he chosen a Saudi contract over his current path in the United States.
The next name whispered in billionaire circles is Kylian Mbappé, the French prodigy who sits twelfth on the list of highest‑paid athletes for 2026 with a projected $95 million salary. While his current net worth hovers around $250 million, the speed of his earnings suggests that a future billionaire status is not out of reach, especially as he continues to dominate both on the pitch and in endorsement markets.
Beyond the two superstars, the financial ripple extends to veterans such as David Beckham, whose billionaire status arrived a decade after hanging up his boots, and Mathieu Flamini, whose post‑retirement business empire now counts roughly $14 billion in assets. Even former players like Louis Saha and rising talents such as Erling Haaland are being monitored as potential wealth accumulators, underscoring how the intersection of sport, branding and investment is reshaping the economic map of soccer.