Consistency is one of the most important measuring sticks in professional sports, and soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo is a prime example. Despite being over 40, Ronaldo can still play the game at an incredibly high level. That helps explain why he just secured the title of world's highest-paid athlete for the third straight year. That's allowed him to stockpile a real estate portfolio as impressive as his estimated $270 million total earnings in 2024.
Ronaldo has been a fixture on Forbes’ annual list of the world's highest-paid athletes for most of his playing career, and it takes more than just wages earned from playing soccer to make that list. Forbes estimates Ronaldo earned an astronomical $275 million last year, which was good enough for third place on Forbes' all-time list of annual earnings. Even when adjusted for taxes and agent fees, Ronaldo's 2025 earnings blew the competition away.
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Ronaldo's closest rival on Forbes' list was Golden State Warriors Guard Stephen Curry, who checked in with $156 million in earnings, the most ever by an NBA player. The previous NBA record was LeBron James’ $128.2 million. However, it's still barely more than half of Ronaldo's haul. Ronaldo's geographic location gives him an advantage over his contemporaries. The NBA has a salary cap for players. Ronaldo's soccer league does not.
He plays in the oil-rich Saudi league for Al-Nassr, who pays him $225 million annually for his services. The other $45 million comes from Ronaldo's endorsement deals and investments. Ronaldo's first appearance at the top of Forbes' list came in 2016, when he earned $88 million. A decade-plus of earning nine and 10-figure salaries has helped Ronaldo amass a real estate portfolio that U.K.-based Hello! magazine estimates to be worth nearly $100 million.
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Ronaldo is a native of Portugal, and many of his most impressive properties are located there. According to Hello!, Ronaldo owns a penthouse in a posh Lisbon neighborhood close to the city's famous Eduardo VII Park. GQ says Ronaldo paid $11 million for the 3,100 square foot property, which features an infinity pool, gourmet kitchen, and stunning vistas of Lisbon's old city.
Ronaldo also has a spectacular seaside property in Cascais, which is still under construction. The area is widely known as the Portuguese Riviera, and real estate website Idealista estimates the house will be roughly 10,000 square feet when completed. The property, which is roughly 30 minutes from Lisbon, also features stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. It is widely speculated that Ronaldo will make this his permanent home after he retires from soccer.
Ronaldo spent many of the best years of his career playing for Real Madrid, and he still holds property in the area. His mansion in Madrid's prestigious La Finca district, was designed by architect Joaquin Torres, who is known locally as the "architect of the stars." According to Hello, Ronaldo is renting out the $5 million, seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom mansion for $25,000 per month.
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The South China Morning Post also noted Ronaldo's real estate empire once stretched as far as New York City. According to the Post, Ronaldo paid $18.5 million for a luxury penthouse in Manhattan's Trump Tower in 2015. However, Vanity Fair reported that he re-listed the property for $9 million before dropping the price again to $7.75 million in 2021.
The Post also reports that Ronaldo may own a $25 million mansion in Dubai's Jumeirah Resorts, which is also known as Billionaire's Island. However, Ronaldo's reps have never confirmed the report. In either case, Ronaldo has an impressive real estate portfolio. Being widely recognized as one of the best soccer players ever certainly has its rewards.
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