Lionel Messi’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s crazy rich lives, compared: the football legends earn millions and splurge on Rolex and Patek Philippe watches, and Ferrari and Lamborghini supercars

Feb 6 , 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Lionel Messi are among the world’s wealthiest athletes. Photos: @cristiano, @leomessi/Instagram

Football fans recently descended on Hong Kong for a hotly anticipated friendly match between the city’s team and Inter Miami CF, on February 4 … only to be sorely disappointed when the latter’s star player, Lionel Messi, spent the game sitting on the sidelines.

The other footballer who might’ve commanded a similar enthusiastic turnout? Cristiano Ronaldo. The two currently top Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes in the world.

Both wildly successful, Messi and Ronaldo are said to have signed some of the most lucrative contracts and endorsement deals in sports history … And with impressive wealth comes a palate for a luxurious lifestyle.

Here, we look at the two mega stars’ earning power and what they spend their millions on.

How Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo make their fortune …

Lionel Messi (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo have some of the most lucrative deals in the history of football. Photos: @leomessi, @cristiano/Instagram

Aside from the US$50 million to US$60 million contract that he reportedly has with Inter Miami CF, according to a report from Sportsnet, Messi is also one of the highest-earning athletes in the world when it comes to endorsements. His relationship with long-time sponsor Adidas began as a US$500,000-year contract over a decade ago. He has since signed a lifetime, US$25 million-a-year contract with the sports apparel brand, per Daily Star. The contract could be worth as much as one billion dollars in total, making it one of the most lucrative endorsement deals ever.

Lionel Messi has a lifetime deal with Adidas. Photo: @leomessi/Instagram

Other partnerships he was previously involved in include a limited edition timepiece with Audemars Piguet in 2012. In 2019, he partnered with an American jeweller and watchmaker Jacob & Co as a “friend of the brand”. He’s since moved on from this partnership – Ronaldo, who’s been a friend of the brand for two decades, continues to work with the brand on limited edition watches.

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Cristiano Ronaldo gets US$200 million a year from Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr. Photo: @cristiano/Instagram

Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s contract with Nike brings in US$24 million a year, per Essentially Sports. The Portuguese native has various endorsement partnerships, including direct-selling health food and supplement company Herbalife, and cryptocurrency platform Binance. He owns the apparel brand CR7, reportedly estimated to be worth US$500 million. Ronaldo is also said to be getting US$200 million yearly for his contract with Saudi team Al Nassr, per Marca.

Messi’s net worth reportedly sits at US$650 million and Ronaldo at US$600 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. According to Forbes, Ronaldo earned US$260 million in 2023, and Messi, US$135 million.

With both stars still in their prime and with various income streams, it could be just a matter of time before either or both hit billionaire status.

… and how they spend it

Cristiano Ronaldo owns a variety of watches, from Rolex to Hublot and Bulgari. Photo: @jacobandco/Instagram

If his Instagram account, with over 60 million followers at the time of writing, is any indication, Ronaldo lives a highly disciplined life that involves regular training sessions both alone and with his team, plus time spent with his family – with plenty of protein shakes in between.

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One of Ronaldo’s passions includes watches, and he has a collection that includes everything from his arsenal of Rolex Daytonas to customised Jacob & Co high complication timepieces, as seen on his Instagram. He’s especially partial to pieces loaded with precious stones, including a fully paved Bulgari Octo, the million-dollar Hublot Masterpiece MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis King, and a Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon CR7 Edition – a special piece created by Jacob & Co that’s covered in black and white diamonds.

Lionel Messi prefers classic watches, including Patek Philippe. Photo: @DonShelby_/Instagram

Meanwhile, Messi’s watch collection features some heavyweight pieces as well. Besides his handful of Rolexes and pieces from his collaboration with Jacob & Co, his preference leans towards classic designs made impressive by their complications. He wore a Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar 5270P with a green dial worth around US$200,000 at The Best Fifa Awards 2022 in Doha, as seen on Instagram.

Lionel Messi showing off a toy Ferrari on his social media. Photo: @leomessi/Instagram

Both men have also amassed impressive car collections throughout their careers.

Messi’s most expensive car is said to be a Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti that he picked up at an auction, per Business Insider. He outbid none other than Ronaldo, per Supercar Blondie, and paid a whopping US$36 million for the vintage 1957 supercar in 2016. The Ferrari is on record as being the one of the most expensive cars ever sold.

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Cristiano Ronaldo loves sharing photos of his cars with fans. Photo: @cristiano/Instagram

Despite not having one of the most expensive cars in the world in his collection, Ronaldo’s fleet is equally impressive. He loves sharing photos of his rides with fans on Instagram, posing next to his Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Lamborghini Aventador and Mercedes-Benz Brabus G6. The Portuguese star reportedly paid US$9.9 million for his Bugatti Centodieci, per Goal, which is one of the most expensive cars he owns.

Fame and celebrity

Football fans were sorely disappointed recently when Inter Miami CF played a friendly match against the Hong Kong Team … but Lionel Messi didn’t take to the field
But how do his earnings stack up to the equally successful Ronaldo’s … and which car did he outbid the Al Nassr forward for?