‘Cristiano Ronaldo is the biggest brand in the world’ - Football’s first billionaire becomes ‘one-man show’ in emulating Michael Jordan, LeBron James & Tiger Woods

Ronaldo’s earning potential has spiked since making his name as a tricky winger with Manchester United. He was transformed into a fearsome frontman during his time at Old Trafford, collecting his first Champions League trophy and Ballon d’Or in the process. He now has five European crowns to his name and a handful of Golden Balls.

Records have tumbled around the all-time great, with the history books being rewritten on a regular basis. There is seemingly still plenty left for him to achieve at 40 years of age. A new two-year contract has been committed to in the Saudi Pro League, with Ronaldo taking aim at the 2026 World Cup and 1,000 career goals.

He could have retired a long time ago, with enough money in the bank to last several lifetimes. Ronaldo boasts the most lucrative contract in his chosen sport, while also working with leading brands such as Nike, Armani and Castrol. An empire has been built off the field courtesy of the CR7 brand, real estate investments and money-spinning business ventures.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index claims that Ronaldo’s net worth has hit $1.4 billion (£1bn), making him the first football player to join an exclusive club. NBA greats Jordan and James stand alongside him when it comes to wealthy sporting stars, as does golf icon Woods and tennis great Roger Federer.

Ronaldo - who pulls in millions of dollars courtesy of his social media accounts, which have branched out into the world of video production on YouTube - remains of obvious attraction to commercial partners around the world. It remains to be seen how long his remarkable playing career will last.

He has, however, joined the immortals and can expect to keep eye-watering numbers on the financial front rolling in long after goalscoring boots have been hung up for the final time. Sporting vice-president Andre Bernardo expects that to be the case.

He told the ‘Growing with Soul: How Clubs Expand Without Losing Their Heritage’ panel at the Portugal Football Summit: “Our core business is sports, and players are a fundamental component. Players are heroes, but they are also people, and there are people who sometimes neglect this aspect and try to copy them. In the digital age, these players are much more powerful than some brands. Cristiano Ronaldo is the biggest brand in the world and is a unique person. Naturally, he has a team that supports him, but he is a one-man show.”

He added, with Sporting having helped to put several household names on the path to greatness: “Cristiano is a good example, but there are others who came from humble and difficult backgrounds. Everyone knows Cristiano's story, his mother, a huge Sporting fan, was the one who brought him to the academy when he was a boy.”

There has been talk of Ronaldo returning to his roots at some stage, as he takes his career full circle. Such a move may, however, be difficult given that he will be 42 by the time that his lucrative deal in the Middle East comes to a close. A door in Lisbon will, however, always be left open to him. That is because he remains a hero to millions back in his homeland.

They will be looking to cheer Ronaldo and Co on to global glory next summer. Portugal are holders of the UEFA Nations League crown and expected to go well in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Savouring World Cup glory would allow Ronaldo, much like eternal rival Lionel Messi did with Argentina at Qatar 2022, to complete his glittering medal collection.