When it comes to the richest footballers playing today there are two who are undoubtedly in a league of their own. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronlado’s glory days playing for clubs like PSG and Real Madrid may be over, but their earnings are still more than world class.
It’s not just what they earn as a salary that has put them so far ahead of other players, it’s the off-field sponsorships that have done it. Covering everything from sportswear brands to casino businesses both players have cast their nets far and wide.
This has led to enormous personal wealth for them both. Messi is reportedly worth around $600 million with his Portuguese rival worth’ $650 million. It’s been estimated that by the time that Ronaldo does eventually decide to hang up his boots he could be worth a cool $1 billion.
At the moment playing for the Saudi team Al-Nassr is said to be worth $75 million a year as a base salary, not including any bonuses he might receive. Messi, on the other hand, is the highest-paid player in MLS but has to settle for around $50 million a year.
They’ve always been fierce rivals on the pitch with Messi on top with eight Ballon D’Or wins to Ronaldo’s five, but how do they measure up sponsorship-wise?
Lionel Messi
As you might expect from a global footballing superstar, it’s global brands that have been attracted to Messi from early on in his stellar career.
Way back in 2006 he first joined forces with the German brand Adidas as one of their official ambassadors. Even though he was still a junior player at Barcelona at the time, he was already being singled out for greatness.
As his stature grew Adidas realised what an asset he was. So in 2017 he was given a lifetime contract which is currently thought to earn him $25 million a year.
Another major global brand that he has added to his roster is the soft-drinks giant Pepsi. Again, this is a brand ambassadorship role which has seen him appear in many TV ads and other promotional videos. Although not solely responsible, Messi’s contribution has seen the brand’s value steadily grow thanks to its innovative marketing strategy
Other brands that have signed highly lucrative deals with the player have included everyone from Hard Rock International to EA Sports who have featured him on the cover of their FIFA video game on a number of occasions.
His huge following on social media has also made any sponsored posts he sends out big money-earners too. It’s thought that for every one he releases he receives over $2 million thanks to the 500 million+ followers that he has on Instagram alone.
Add to this his own clothing range, sold via The Messi Store, and it’s easy to see why he will continue to earn huge amounts long after he’s kicked his final ball in anger.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Impressive as Messi’s figures might be, it would seem that Ronaldo has the edge. His global fame means that he has around 629 million followers on Instagram, something that has boosted his fee for a single post up to $3.2 million.
In terms of big name sponsors, his key one is Adidas’s main rival Nike for whom he is a brand ambassador. He also has a lifetime contract, worth around $20 million a year and which even includes his personal input on designing sportswear lines for Nike under his broader CR7 brand.
He is also highly involved in the global Herbalife brand producing a sports energy drink called Herbalife CR7 Drive and has been a brand ambassador for the company since 2013 earning over $1 million a year for his association.
Other businesses that he has endorsed in the past include the DAZN sports streaming network, the Clear haircare range from Unilever, Egyptian Steel and Emporio Armani.
A question of image
While there are many similarities between the kinds of sponsorships that the players promote, there’s a distinct difference in individual image.
Ronaldo has always been the more flamboyant, prima donna-ish performer. For example he is famous for his superstitions and habits when playing, like being the last one out of the tunnel before a game and always placing his right foot on the pitch first.
Messi is more low-key, preferring to just get on with the job of scoring goals.
But in a world where celebrity and profile counts, it’s telling that Ronaldo has the higher net worth, as well as the greater earnings from sponsorship deals.
So, it may be uncertain just how much longer both these greats of the game can continue to play. But we can be sure that the Portuguese superstar will continue to enjoy his dominance in the field of sponsorship and marketing.