CRISTIANO RONALDO – $500 MILLION

When talking about soccer, one name comes to mind: Cristiano Ronaldo. Born on the Portuguese island of Madeira, he displayed a great degree of talent at a young age. His professional career started at the age of 17 when he played for Sporting Lisbon, where he scored 2 of the 3 points in a 3-0 match. His big break came when he signed for Manchester United the next season. Apart from his greatness in his sport, he is also famous for his good looks.

This paved his way to landing endorsements here and there. With a base salary of $60 million a year, he earns more than $40 million a year from endorsements alone. One of his most lucrative endorsement deals is with Nike. Specific numbers were not released, but it is believed that the money was well worth over $100 million. To this date, Ronaldo is still one of the public’s cult favorites, along with other soccer heroes.