Data Indicates Cristiano Ronaldo’s Salary Dwarfs Ex-Premier League Top Earners

Cristiano Ronaldo may not be the best-paid soccer player in the world, nor the talk of the town in the Premier League. The Real Madrid legend does have a salary to easily outdo the English top-flight’s highest earner from 20 years prior, however, according to the trading and investment company Saxo.

Ronaldo’s salary bares no similarity to ex-midfielder Roy Keane’s unrivaled wages from 20 years ago. A Manchester United star too—now pundit—Keane’s annual takings were just under €5.5 million ($5.5 million) then, a long way off Ronaldo’s in 2022—which are around six times that amount at about €31 million ($31 million), the company’s findings suggest. Overall, it concludes a 467% increase in the highest soccer salaries in the past 20 years. Such figures point to a much-changed financial picture today, with top wages sky-high across Europe.

On the fringes of boss Erik ten Hag’s first team, the attacker rakes in more money than anyone in the English top flight. But ahead of what’s likely to be his final World Cup in November and December, often missing out on minutes has frustrated him.

Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer is lagging behind Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi on the global stage, both in earnings and playing time, but his wallet still says a lot about the state of the European game today. Aged 37, the striker remains an expensive commodity to keep for his employer—with his accolades demanding steep wages and superagent Jorge Mendes to satisfy.

Ronaldo’s situation hints at how top salaries have skyrocketed over time and do not only belong to players at the top of their game. Messi, 34, and Ronaldo still float around the top positions despite approaching the ends of their careers. Karim Benzema is the current Ballon d’Or holder, despite being positioned outside the top ten earners. For the former two mentioned, years in the ascendancy continue to provide them with an edge.

There is also the effect of Paris Saint-Germain’s financial clout, which has transformed the landscape altogether. Powered by Qatari money, PSG can offer prospective signings—and their treasured assets—more and more to keep them, as was the case with Mbappé in May. In the coming seasons, a similar situation could evolve at Newcastle United in the Premier League as money from its wealthy Saudi Arabian backer—the Public Investment Fund—begins to kick in.

Few appearances recently have left Ronaldo unable to continue producing the performances and goalscoring numbers that have decorated his career and led him to his position today. Nevertheless, his unmatched social media presence, nearing half a billion Instagram followers, shows his brand is firmly intact.

Various ventures mean the Los Blancos favorite has plenty going on outside the stadium, with engagements in the hotel and fitness worlds, to name a couple. Professionally, fewer matches have led to some tension at his club, mind, with some accusing him of an attitude problem. To help plot a way forward, the striker even met with the renowned clinical psychologist and personality Jordan Peterson recently to seek wisdom as he nears the next stage of his life and career.

Saxo’s research comes from what it deems “official” sources aggregated to document how sports personalities’ salaries have changed across multiple sports over the last two decades. Contrasted with Keane, Ronaldo’s salary increased the most compared to stars from different eras in golf, tennis, rugby, and Formula 1. In the latter’s case, Michael Schumacher’s 2002 salary was supposedly more than current champion Max Verstappen.

While Ronaldo’s best days in La Liga and the Premier League are behind him, don’t write him off at the World Cup. For a primed athlete determined to prove a point, a month-long tournament caters for explosive performances within a short time frame. That’s something he can still produce, and it would propel him back to competitive stardom, matching his undoubted prosperity away from the white lines.