Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the greatest players of their generation with the rivalry between the two stars, considered one of the greatest in sports history.
The two Icons have been the top players over the last 13 years, and it’s always been an ongoing debate on who is the best among the two.
Both players have 11 Ballon d’Or awards between them with Messi’s six edging out Ronaldo’s five titles. They have also dominated the UEFA Champions League as they both sit first and second in the all-time topscorers in the competition’s history.
The Ronaldo-Messi argument is a constant one and also one of the controversial topics not just in football, but in sports.
However, while it’s hard to separate them on the pitch, the Portugal star has shown he’s the greatest off the pitch, and his new achievement backs it up.
According to Forbes, the Portugal international has become the first player in football history to reach the $1billion mark.
And in reaching this landmark, Ronaldo joins Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Floyd Mayweather as the athletes to reach this figure. He’s also the third man to reach this landmark while still playing, and the first player to achieve the feat in a team sport.
While Messi probably has the better talent on the pitch, Ronaldo’s greatness transcends football, and he’s been able to leverage on his celebrity status better than his Barcelona counterpart.
The Juventus star achieved this new feat despite taking a pay cut due to the coronavirus which has affected the spending and revenue of Europe’s top clubs.
His latest success comes after he also became the first celebrity to reach 200m followers on Instagram. He ranks ahead of the likes Dwayne Johnson and Ariana Grande which shows his popularity even outside football.
The Portugal star has shown no signs of stopping soon even though he is now 35.