There is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo continues to score goals in Saudi Arabia in search of the mythical figure of 1,000 official goals, which would make him go down in history in gold letters, although the truth is that the Portuguese already forms part of the gallery of football’s greats.
But there is another CR7, the one who shows the same ambition off the field as he does on it. He has never stood still. He has had sporting and business interests of all kinds. His most recent venture is an alliance with one of the most renowned directors in the business, Britain’s Matthew Vaughn, known for films such as “Layer Cake” (2004), “Kick-Ass” (2010) and “X-Men: First Class” (2011). In fact, there are already two films in the pipeline
Off the field, the striker is a true entrepreneur. In recent years, he has driven a number of launches, such as the CR7 clothing brand, which sells underwear, shoes and perfumes, investments in hotels in Europe, Asia and Latin America, luxury properties in different parts of the world, a stake in Chrono24, a German luxury watch sales platform, a stake in Confina Media, one of the most popular audiovisual groups in Portugal, and a stake in Vista Alegre Atlantis SGPS, a Portuguese porcelain and ceramics manufacturer.
More than 74 million subscribers on YouTube
In addition to his YouTube channel, _UR – Cristiano_ with more than 74 million subscribers, CR7 recently innovated by live streaming the finals of the Premier Padel P1, a professional padel tournament held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the broadcast through his channel reached more than 130 countries.
CR7’s influence transcends football, establishing him as a global brand of immense value. The combination of his on-field performance, his dominant social media presence and lucrative sponsorship deals cement his position as one of the world’s most valuable and influential athletes. “It’s a perfect case of how top athletes can become true entrepreneurs, generating millions in revenue far beyond their salaries as players,” says Joaquim Lo Prete, country manager of Absolut Sport in Brazil.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is the biggest marketing phenomenon in the history of world football. Talent, a lot of training and repetition, extraordinary discipline combined with unique strategic image positioning,” says Fabio Wolff, managing partner of Wolff Sports and sports marketing specialist.
World sports icon
“Cristiano Ronaldo is a sports icon; in fact, we can say that he is a reference in world entertainment. His audience is huge, thanks to a combination of factors, and one of them is his great professionalism in everything he does, which obviously translates into record numbers in every sense,” said Renê Salviano, CEO of Heatmap and specialist in sports marketing.
According to a study by IPAM (Portuguese Institute of Administration and Marketing), published this year, the ‘CR7 brand’ will reach a record value of 850 million euros in 2025. The values bring together a combination of 28 variables distributed across six dimensions: revenue, media, social networks, achievements, social influence and impact.
150 million in advertising contracts
The note from the Portuguese Institute of Administration and Marketing reports that, in terms of income, Cristiano Ronaldo currently earns 200 million euros a year at Al Nassr, in addition to more than 150 million euros in advertising contracts with global brands such as Nike, Tag Heuer and Louis Vuitton. On social media, the Portuguese has become the most followed public figure in the world, with more than one billion followers on his platforms.
Another significant fact provided by the study is that CR7 generates an average of 22.3 million news stories worldwide each year, as well as 187 million Google searches annually. He is also mentioned in 4,000 books on Amazon and is featured in 63,000 scientific articles.
Legend on and off the pitch
Ronaldo’s long career and constant reinvention, both on and off the pitch, serve as a model for the market. He has always been very committed to his main tool of work: his body. By maintaining good sporting performance, Cristiano has created a solid foundation to support his personal brand strategy, which includes partnerships with luxury brands, investments in various sectors and an impressive digital presence. He is a sportsman who demonstrates the importance of taking a holistic approach to developing a successful sports brand, says Jorge Duarte, marketing and sports manager at Somos Young.
“Cristiano Ronaldo not only remains a legend on the pitch, but has established himself as a true empire off it. His ability to transform sporting success into a global phenomenon is a clear example of how today’s athletes can strategically and exponentially build and monetise their personal brands. The combination of substantial income, a massive social media presence and consistent media impact reinforces CR7’s power, making him not only a sporting reference, but also a global marketing asset with an influence that transcends borders and generates impressive figures every year,” says Bruno Brum, marketing director of End to End Agency.
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