It is now official that Cristiano Ronaldo is the wealthiest footballer in the world. He leads the pack with a personal fortune of £152m – some £7m more than his rival Lionel Messi who boats of £145m.
According to the Goal.com Rich List, released on Thursday, Ronaldo and Messi enjoy fortunes considerably higher than any other footballer currently playing professionally.
Ronaldo’s success follows an outstanding 2014 where he inspired Real Madrid to Champions League success and a personal achievement with the Ballon d’Or.
The Portuguese retained his Ballon d’Or accolade in Zurich back in January
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi was second on the Rich List with a personal wealth of £145m.
Their totals, which take into account sponsorship revenue as well as wages and bonuses, are well above that of Neymar, who comes third in the list with a fortune of £97.9m.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Paris Saint-Germain and Sweden is worth £76.1m, while Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney is the highest-ranked Englishman on the list in fifth on £74.6m.
Brazilian star Kaka, about to start his career with Orlando City in Major League Soccer, is sixth in the rankings on £69.6m, followed by Samuel Eto’o (£63.1m), Raul (£61.6m) and Ronaldinho (£60.2m).
Former England midfielder Frank Lampard, currently playing for Manchester City ahead of his move to New York City in the MLS, rounds out the top 10 with a personal fortune of £58m.
Other English players in the top 20 are Rio Ferdinand (12th, £52.2m), Steven Gerrard (14th, £46.4m) and John Terry (20th, £40.6m).
Real Madrid fans chase Ronaldo in his new white Rolls Royce
Barcelona and Brazil star Neymar comes in third on the list with an estimated fortune of £97.9m
The Top 10 List
1. Cristiano Ronaldo £152.3
2. Lionel Messi £145m
3. Neymar £97.9m
4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic £76.1m
5. Wayne Rooney £74.6m
6. Kaka £69.6m
7. Samuel Eto’o £63.1m
8. Raul £61.6m
9. Ronaldinho £60.2m
10. Frank Lampard £58m
