Ronaldo Cristiano (Cristiano Ronaldo)

Ronaldo Cristiano (Cristiano Ronaldo)

Biography

2023

Legal action for advertising Binance

On November 27, 2023, a class action lawsuit was filed in federal court in the Southern District of Florida against Cristiano Ronaldo in connection with the advertising of the cryptocurrency exchange. Binance The initiators of the proceedings claim that the world football star participated in the promotion of unregistered securities, which caused investors to suffer losses. On this basis, the plaintiffs ask the court to bring Ronaldo to justice and determine compensation in the amount of at least $1 billion.

The case file says that Ronaldo, who advertised a collection of NFT tokens related to Binance, pushed users to invest, which later turned into losses. The lawsuit says that as part of a marketing partnership with the crypto exchange, Ronaldo urged millions of his fans to invest in Binance, although many of the fans were unfamiliar with this platform and cryptocurrencies in general. Thanks to Ronaldo's involvement in the Binance ad, the plaintiffs said, they had the deceptive impression that their investments were safe. In fact, they lost their investments.

Binance's fraud could only reach such a scale through the sale of unregistered securities, which in turn became possible with the assistance of some of the most influential and recognized organizations and celebrities around the world, such as Ronaldo, the plaintiffs say.

The initiators of the case also note that Ronaldo has become a key figure in promoting the Binance platform due to his influence and reach of the fan audience: as of the end of November 2023, he has about 850 million subscribers on social networks. The footballer's NFT sales are said to have been "incredibly successful," resulting in a 500% increase in searches linked to Binance^[1]

Investment in Belarusian football simulator UFL

On December 12, 2023, the Belarusian studio Strikerz, which develops the UFL football simulator, announced that the Portuguese striker Al-Nasra Cristiano Ronaldo was among the investors in this project. One of the most recognizable athletes in the world, along with a group of unnamed investors, invested $40 million in the creation of the game. Read more here.

2024:1 billion social media followers

In mid-September 2024, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo announced that the number of his subscribers on various social networks exceeded 1 billion. This achievement was recorded for the first time in world history.

Ronaldo blogs on Instagram and Facebook (both owned by Meta, which is recognized as an extremist organization; activities in the Russian Federation are prohibited), X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Kuaishou and Weibo. The main number of forward subscribers falls on Instagram - about 639 million. Another 170.5 million people are subscribed to Ronaldo's Facebook page, approximately 113 million in X, 60.5 million in YouTube. At the same time, on the Weibo and Kuaishou platforms, there are less than 10 million subscribers each.

We were able to make history - 1 billion subscribers! It's more than just a number - it's a testament to our shared passion, desire and love for football and beyond. From the streets of Madeira to the world's biggest arenas, I've always played for my family and for you, and now we're a billion, "Ronaldo says.

It is noted that Ronaldo leads in popularity on Instagram among celebrities. Argentine footballer Lionel Messi is in second place with about 504 million subscribers in this service. He is followed by American celebrities Selena Gomez (424 million), Kylie Jenner (397 million) and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (395 million).

Ronaldo is the third highest paid athlete of all time, adjusted for inflation. His lifetime income amounted to $1.92 billion as of March 2024 and is expected to exceed $2 billion by the end of this year. Previously, only Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods were able to show a similar result. Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has been playing in Saudi Arabia since 2023 for An-Nasr^[2]

2025: Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first ever billionaire footballer

The forward of the Saudi "An-Nasra" and the Portuguese national team Cristiano Ronaldo became the first billionaire footballer in the history of world sports. The Portuguese player's fortune rose to $1.4 billion according to the Bloomberg billionaires index. In June 2025, the 40-year-old striker signed a new contract with the Saudi club worth more than $400 million. The achievement confirms Ronaldo's status as the highest paid footballer on the planet. Bloomberg reported this on October 8, 2025.

Ronaldo earned more than $550 million between 2002 and 2023 through club salaries. His career began at Sporting Lisbon in 2002. A move to Manchester United in 2003 brought the first major signings. Performances for Real Madrid from 2009 to 2018 ensured the peak of earnings. The salary at Juventus from 2018 to 2021 was tens of millions of euros. The return to Manchester United in 2021 was short-lived before joining Saudi Arabia.

𝓲

Фото: Bloomberg

The footballer signed a ten-year contract with Nike for almost $18 million a year. The sponsorship agreement has been in effect since the professional start of his career. The sportswear brand created a personalized line of boots for the player. The collaboration with Armani generated revenue from the fashion house's advertising campaigns. The contract with Castrol included filming in commercials for engine oils. Partnership with brands increased the fortune by more than $175 million per career.

The move to An-Nasr in 2023 was a financial breakthrough for the player. The contract brought in about $200 million a year in the form of a tax-free salary. Performance bonuses complement the base portion of the award. A signing bonus of $30 million was paid when the agreement was concluded. Additional benefits include housing, cars and family services. Saudi Arabia attracts global stars with generous contracts to develop local football.^[3]

Notes