Cristiano Ronaldo was recently spotted making an appearance at the White House, and one financial buff believes the move will pay dividends in increasing his already staggering bank balance
Cristiano Ronaldo could be set to bolster his bank balance by a further $100m (£76.5m) in the US after an appearance at the White House. The Portuguese sensation has made quite the name for himself thanks to an incredible footballing career across Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and most recently, Al-Nassr.
However, as per Professor Rob Wilson, Director of Executive Education at University Campus of Football Business, the 40-year-old’s antics off the pitch could see him build a bigger brand than the likes of David Beckham and long-time rival, Lionel Messi. Speaking to Vegas Insider after Ronaldo was spotted at the White House State Banquet, the expert said: “Ronaldo already operates as a billion-dollar global asset.
“But that White House moment will add political relevance and some hugely important US visibility which are powerful brand signals. When Donald Trump frames Ronaldo as a family favourite of his son, it humanises his image and broadens sponsor appeal.
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“The earned media impact from such exposure would likely sit in the mid eight-figure range, with a small uplift to endorsement pricing in a portfolio already producing well over $60m (£45.9m) a year. We can expect CR7 to press on toward $100m (£76.5m) endorsements in the US as a result of his invitation and appearance at the banquet.”
Professor Wilson also compared Ronaldo’s stateside appearance to Messi, who has taken similar steps as of recent to appear alongside the US president.
He added: “Messi’s shift into high-level business forums, such as his appearance at the America Business Forum alongside Donald Trump, helps reframe him from elite athlete to national economic ambassador.
“Messi’s brand is already approaching $1bn (£765m) in value with demonstrable commercial impact as shown by Inter Miami’s revenue doubling and valuation jumping past $1bn (£765m) itself.
“His presence signals reliability to investors and governments. It positions him for equity stakes, long-term partnerships and sovereign-level ventures rather than conventional sponsorships. Beckham still sets the standard for turning fame into a lifestyle empire, backed by a half-billion-pound image rights business and a stake in a billion-dollar club.
“But Messi and Ronaldo now sit on larger global platforms with bigger fan ecosystems and deeper earning power. Each has the scale to become a long-term institutional brand, Ronaldo as a luxury fitness, Gulf-backed platform with Messi acting as a soft-power bridge across the Americas and the global football economy.
“Both have the potential to surpass Beckham’s long-term commercial footprint with carefully curated activations and appearances.”
It comes as Ronaldo was this year named as the first-ever active footballer to become a billionaire, partially thanks to his staggering new contract with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, which is reportedly worth more that $400m (£306m). It is estimated that Ronaldo has a net worth of around $1.4billion (£1bn) in total at present.
For context, that’s already leagues ahead of the £500m net worth of David and Victoria Beckham, as well as the $850m (£650m) reported fortune of Messi.
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