Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the greatest soccer players to ever grace the beautiful game. There have not been any other players to have the same impact as these two players did so far. In the last 20 years, both Ronaldo and Messi have dominated soccer in every aspect possible. Their standards have made it seem like there can never be another Ronaldo or Messi.
Both of them used to play for Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. If the El Clasico rivalry between the two teams wasn’t enough, both the two players had a rivalry between themselves as well. We all know how they pushed each other to the greatness we have been witnessing so far. Apart from the on-field numbers, they have been competing off it as well.
Who earns more from contracts: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?
The entire soccer world was caught by surprise when Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr. His fairytale return to Old Trafford didn’t go according to plan, and the club terminated his contract after a controversial interview with Piers Morgan.
History in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves. Welcome @Cristiano to your new home @AlNassrFC pic.twitter.com/oan7nu8NWC
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) December 30, 2022
Ronaldo signed a contract worth a staggering $200 million, including bonuses attained from commercial events as well. Messi recently switched clubs as well.
He signed with David Beckham-led Inter Miami, after a turbulent period at PSG. The Argentine forward failed to lead the Paris-based club to UCL glory. As per reports, Messi could make about $125-$150 million with his Inter Miami contract, an amount that depends on the duration of the contract. Reports claim that he signed a deal worth 2 and a half years, and it includes shareholder privilege in esteemed companies such as Apple and Adidas.
Lionel Messi will make $50 million to $60 million annually at Inter Miami, per @kbadenhausen.
That includes salary, signing bonus & equity in the team — but it doesn’t include revenue-sharing deals with Apple, Adidas & Fanatics.
Still, Messi is now the highest-paid US athlete. pic.twitter.com/6X157OFqvr
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) June 19, 2023
Although Messi could be raking in millions of dollars, as far as money made through contracts is the question, Ronaldo absolutely takes it. However, Ronaldo’s salary might pale in comparison in the coming years, considering he will be owning equity in a trillion-dollar company.
Does Cristiano Ronaldo earn more than Lionel Messi through endorsement deals?
The entire world knows that these two players are the face of the sports brand they have deals with. Messi has been with Adidas since 2006. On the other hand, Ronaldo signed for Nike in 2003, the year he signed for Manchester United. Both Messi and Ronaldo have lifetime deals with Adidas and Nike. Moreover, they represent plenty of brands, which is not surprising considering the impact they have on the world.
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The brands that Messi represents include Adidas, Huawei, Gatorade, Pepsi, Lay’s, and MasterCard among many other big names. As for Ronaldo, the former Real Madrid star represents Herbalife, Tag Heuer, and Clear. According to Forbes, the 5x Ballon d’Or winner made $55 million off the field. That includes money coming in from his endorsement deals.
PSG superstar Lionel Messi has also raked in tens of millions in endorsement money. The 35-year-old made an estimated $55 million recently as of March 2022, according to Forbes. It looks like both Ronaldo and Messi have earned the same amount from endorsement deals.
What are the businesses owned by Messi and Ronaldo?
For those who don’t know, Cristiano is the owner of a global brand known as “CR7,” which has a clothing, innerwear, and cologne section. In addition to that, Ronaldo also owns numerous hotels known as the Pestana CR7. The hotel has branches worldwide in Madeira, Lisbon, Marrakech, New York, and Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Pestana CR7 Hotel in Marrakech, Morocco has named as Africa’s Best New Hotel at the World Travel Awards 2022. pic.twitter.com/9G4xtMm10T
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) October 25, 2022
On the other hand, Messi owns a few brands on his own too. He launched his own store, The Messi Store back in 2019 when he was with Barcelona. He has investments in real estate, houses, etc. across the world.
Leo Messi acquires the hotel Es Vivé of 52 rooms in Ibiza built 4 years ago. The hotel will be renamed MiM Ibiza and will be managed by Majestic Hotel Group. Second hotel acquired by MiM (Leo Messi) after acquiring hotel in Sitges. #hotels #assetmanagement #resorts pic.twitter.com/oNt0hgvdbO
— Luis Rubió (@LuisRubioTundra) April 11, 2018
Just like his former El Clasico rival, he is pretty big in the hotel industry too. Leo is in partnership with the Majestic Hotel Group. The company has hotels all over Spain in Mallorca, Andorra, Ibiza, Baqueira, and Sitges. In addition to that, Messi is also recently launched a new company.
He has raked in hundreds of millions over the years but it seems like Ronaldo might be the frontrunner in earnings made through companies and endorsement deals.
How does Ronaldo’s $24 million car collection compare with Messi’s?
It is no secret that Ronaldo is a huge car enthusiast. He has posted various images and videos of his costly Bugatti. An interesting fact is that his bodyguard has even crashed the expensive car once. The United star’s car collection is worth about $24 million. It includes a Bugatti which is worth $12 million, several Ferraris, a McLaren Senna, two Rolls- Royces, and a Mercedes G-Wagon Brabus that his girlfriend gifted for his 35th birthday.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s car collection is something else 🤑 pic.twitter.com/xvqDrObUAM
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 19, 2021
Ronaldo may have a costly car collection, but does he beat Messi in this aspect? The exact value of Messi’s car collection has not been disclosed, simply because the PSG star does not reveal much of his cars to the world. However, he does own a Ferrari F430, Pagani Zonda, Maserati Gran Turismo, Range Rovers, and a Cadillac Escalade.
What is Messi and Ronaldo’s net worth?
According to various sources, Ronaldo’s net worth stands at about $500 million. According to Forbes, he is the first athlete from a team sport to cross the $1 billion mark in career earnings. In the opposite corner, Messi competes with a $600 million net worth. He was the second soccer player to cross the $1 billion mark after Ronaldo as well.
Many would have expected them to have a higher net worth, but soccer was not always a sport filled with lucrative contracts. Both Messi and Ronaldo have managed to stay at the top for two decades now and they still show from time to time that they still have what it takes.
As far as the comparison goes, it seems like Messi has a bigger net worth than Ronaldo right now. It will be a huge surprise to fans to find out that the Argentine has the edge over Ronaldo considering the latter’s brand and presence in the corporate world. However, Ronaldo’s net worth might still be affected considering his latest move to Saudi.
