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From living in a cramped house in Madeira, Portugal with barely enough breathing space for him, his parents and three siblings to being named the second richest footballer in the world – Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, has certainly come a long way.
No words can be enough to describe the already legendary number 7 but I’m going to try (the impossible) anyway. The Portuguese powerhouse has near superhuman football skills, scores goals for fun, has broken countless records and is worshipped like a god by both Manchester United and Real Madrid fans along with football lovers in general. All his magnificent efforts haven’t gone in vain but have been richly rewarded instead.
Ronaldo, who held the record for being the most expensive footballer on the planet when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid back in 2009 for a fee of around $131.6 million, signed a new contract with Los Blancos last September worth €21 million a year after taxes making him the highest paid footballer in the world and according to Forbes earned $44 million in 2013.
Besides his astronomical salary Ronaldo also pulls in money through his sponsorship deals which bring him an estimated $28 million making him the most marketable athlete in the world. The forward has signed sponsorship deals with American sportswear manufacturer Nike, Emirates, American fast food giant KFC, Pro Evolution Soccer, Emporio Armani, Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer, Samsung mobile, Herbalife, Banco along with his own innerwear brand CR7 among other deals making him a true marketing machine (Six Million Dollar Man step aside.)
The Portuguese superstar has splashed the cash on a $7.2 million mansion in Madrid, a fleet of supercars including a Bugatti Veyron. Ronaldo also shares his wealth with others and regularly donates money to various charities around the world.
CR7’s net worth is sure to increase in the coming years as he has a lot more to give.
