Cristiano Ronaldo, a global soccer icon, entrepreneur, and product ambassador, has an estimated net worth of $800 million. He is widely regarded as one of the highest-paid athletes worldwide, consistently earning between $100 million to $150 million annually through his salary and endorsement deals. In 2020, Ronaldo made $120 million, with approximately $70 million from his salary and $50 million from endorsement deals with brands like Nike, Herbalife, and Clear Shampoo.
Considered among the greatest footballers ever, Ronaldo shares comparisons with other legends like Pele, Maradona, and George Best. Often referred to as “CR7,” he is also frequently compared to Lionel Messi in discussions about the best player of all time. By the time of his retirement, it is expected that Ronaldo’s career earnings will exceed $2 billion from both his salary and endorsements, a milestone no other footballer has achieved.
Upon reaching this milestone, Ronaldo will join the exclusive group of athletes who have crossed the $1 billion earnings mark, which currently includes figures such as Floyd Mayweather ($1 billion), Michael Schumacher ($1 billion), Jack Nicklaus ($1.15 billion), Arnold Palmer ($1.35 billion), Tiger Woods ($1.65 billion), and Michael Jordan, who has surpassed $2 billion.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Image via Getty)
Ronaldo’s base salary amounts to $200 million, with an additional $150 million typically earned from endorsement deals. His career earnings have already approached the $1 billion mark. In 2016, he signed a significant lifetime deal with Nike valued at $1 billion, which included a $100 million signing bonus. Furthermore, in 2022, he signed a $600 million contract with the Saudi Arabian football club Al Nassr.
Al Nassr Saudi Contract
In December 2022, rumors surfaced that Ronaldo, following his departure from Manchester United, was negotiating a deal with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. On December 5, 2022, it was confirmed that Ronaldo had agreed to a record-breaking 2.5-year deal worth 500 million Euros, the largest contract in sports history in terms of earnings per season, amounting to $210 million annually.
Early Life
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on February 5, 1985, in Madeira, Portugal. He came from a modest background, with his mother working as a cook and his father as a gardener and part-time equipment manager for a local soccer team. Ronaldo grew up sharing a room with his siblings. His father named him after the former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
Ronaldo showed remarkable talent from a young age. By the age of 12, he impressed Sporting Lisbon and joined their youth academy. At 14, Ronaldo made the difficult decision to drop out of school and focus solely on soccer. This also came after an incident where he threw a chair at a teacher, leading to his expulsion. His journey wasn’t without obstacles, as he later learned he had a heart condition that required surgery. After the procedure, he returned to training and continued pursuing his passion.
Professional Career
Ronaldo made his debut for Sporting Lisbon’s first team at 17, scoring twice in a 3-0 victory. After Sporting defeated Manchester United 3-1 in 2003, United’s manager Alex Ferguson became determined to sign the talented teenager. Ronaldo joined Manchester United in 2003, breaking records for a teenager’s transfer fee in English football. He made an immediate impact, scoring a free-kick in his debut match.
Although Ronaldo requested a transfer during the 2006-2007 season, he continued his successful run at Manchester United, scoring over 20 goals and helping the team win the Premier League. The following year, he won his first Champions League and scored a club-record 42 goals in the season. After one more successful year, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-record transfer fee, marking the beginning of his legendary career at the Spanish club.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Image via Getty)
At Real Madrid, Ronaldo scored prolifically, achieving records like scoring in his first four games and finishing his debut season with 33 goals. Over the years, he shattered multiple records, including being the first player to score more than 40 goals in a season for Real Madrid and then breaking his own record with 60 goals the following year. Ronaldo finished 2013 with 69 goals, winning his first Ballon d’Or. After several more years of success, he left Real Madrid in 2018, having won numerous trophies and established various records.
Ronaldo joined Juventus in 2018, finishing his first season there with 21 goals and eight assists. He continued to excel on the international stage, leading Portugal to victory in the 2016 European Championship. After a brief return to Manchester United in 2021, where he was the club’s top scorer, Ronaldo’s contract was terminated in 2022. In 2023, Ronaldo signed with Al Nassr.
Endorsement Earnings and Salary
Cristiano Ronaldo consistently earns over $60 million annually as a base salary, with his endorsement deals contributing more than $40 million each year. From June 2017 to June 2018, Ronaldo’s total earnings amounted to $108 million, with $61 million from salary and $47 million from endorsements. In the following year, Ronaldo earned $110 million, and in 2020, his total earnings reached $120 million.
One of Ronaldo’s most lucrative deals was his $1 billion lifetime agreement with Nike, signed in November 2016. While specific details remain undisclosed, the deal reportedly included a $100 million signing bonus. Additionally, Ronaldo generates income by selling self-branded products, including perfumes and clothing.
After nine years with Real Madrid, Ronaldo signed a four-year contract with Juventus in 2018, which included a base salary of $64 million for the duration of his tenure.
Style of Play
Cristiano Ronaldo started his career as a winger, using his speed and dribbling skills to outmaneuver defenders and deliver precise crosses. His exceptional shooting abilities, especially with long-range shots and free kicks, became his trademark. Ronaldo’s technique for free kicks became iconic, involving a unique method of striking the ball for unpredictable flight paths.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Image via Getty)
As he aged, Ronaldo transitioned into the role of a central striker. His pace began to decline, but he adapted by becoming more of a clinical goal poacher, finishing with precision inside the box. His ability to score headers, often towering above defenders, and his spectacular bicycle kicks are hallmarks of his later playing style. Although his free-kick abilities have waned in recent years, his goal-scoring prowess remains impressive.
Awards and Trophies
Ronaldo’s list of accomplishments is unparalleled in football history. He has won the Ballon d’Or five times, the highest honor a soccer player can achieve. Ronaldo has also earned the Golden Boot four times, awarded to the top scorer in various leagues. His success in these categories surpasses that of any other European player.
As of 2023, Ronaldo has accumulated 32 trophies, including seven league titles, five Champions League titles, one European Championship, and one Nations League win. In 2018, he became the first player in history to win the Champions League five times. Ronaldo has scored over 800 goals in his career, including 140 goals in the Champions League, a record, and 17 goals in the European Championship, another record. He is the first player to score in two European Cup finals for two different winning teams. Ronaldo also belongs to the exclusive group of players with over 1,000 matches played by the age of 35.
Personal Life
Cristiano Ronaldo has five children. In January 2015, his relationship with Russian model Irina Shayk ended after five years. Currently, he is in a relationship with Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez.
Ronaldo is also known for his charitable work. He has donated substantial amounts to causes such as disaster relief efforts, including contributing over $6 million to the Nepal earthquake relief in 2015. His philanthropic efforts earned him the title of the world’s most charitable sportsperson in that same year. Ronaldo also became the Global Artist Ambassador for Save the Children.
In 2023, Ronaldo’s family moved to Saudi Arabia, and he listed his Manchester mansion for sale at $6.6 million. They initially lived in a luxury skyscraper hotel in Riyadh, paying $300,000 per month, before finding a permanent residence. Ronaldo’s $21.6 million mansion in Portugal, complete with indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a garage for up to 30 supercars, is where he plans to retire.
Sean Baker’s Anora draws inspiration from the pace of Uncut Gems while echoing Pretty Woman , yet the film’s finale is a stark contrast, marked by stillness and silence. The plot centers around Ani (Mikey Madison), a woman caught in a whirlwind marriage to Vanya, the son of a Russian oligarch. Their relationship begins with excitement, but it quickly escalates into chaos. From being pursued across New York City by the oligarch’s employees to flying to Las Vegas to annul the marriage at Vanya’s family’s command, Ani is trapped in a tumultuous journey. By the end of the film, she finds herself on a ride home in a beat-up car, driven by one of the family’s henchmen, Igor (played by Yura Borisov).
In the final moments, Igor stops the car outside Ani’s apartment, handing her the wedding ring she was forced to give up. Their relationship takes a complicated turn as Ani climbs on top of him, but she refuses his kiss. Instead, she breaks down in tears. The film ends with this quiet, emotional exchange without any dialogue or music, creating a powerful contrast to the chaos that came before. The silence in the final scene is intentional and marks a significant departure from the rest of the film’s frantic energy. This open-ended conclusion has left viewers with many questions about Ani’s state of mind.
Anora Movie Ending Explained
Director and writer Sean Baker explained in an interview that he purposely left the film’s ending up to interpretation. He refrained from sharing his personal thoughts on the scene because he didn’t want to influence how audiences would interpret it. He emphasized that revealing his perspective would diminish the meaning he intended for the conclusion. According to Baker, both he and Mikey Madison (the actress who portrayed Ani) agreed early on that discussing Ani’s mindset in the final moments would be a disservice to the character. They avoided using music, dialogue, or an epilogue to manipulate the audience’s emotions, leaving the final scene stripped down to its rawest form.
Ani (Image via Getty)
Baker elaborated on the creative process behind the ending, noting that he always ensures he has a clear vision of how a story will conclude before writing a screenplay. From the outset, he knew that Ani and Igor would develop a connection by the end of the film. When revisiting the first draft of the script, he found that the ending had remained largely unchanged. The main difference between the early draft and the final version was the inclusion of small talk in the last shot, which was eventually scrapped during rehearsals. Baker explained that the dialogue detracted from the moment’s power, and in collaboration with Mikey, they realized the scene would be far more impactful without any words.
In the final scene, Ani and Igor have a quiet moment of non-verbal communication. This choice, according to Baker, highlighted one of the few times in the film when Ani is truly heard. By omitting dialogue, the filmmakers allowed the silence to speak for itself, making this moment one of the most significant exchanges between Ani and another character.
The Reception of the Ending by Sex Workers
Baker’s choice to consult with sex workers during the script’s development is significant, and several individuals with experience in the field have shared their perspectives on whether the film, particularly its ending, rings true. Kaytlin Bailey, host of The Oldest Profession Podcast and founder of the non-profit organization Old Pros, praised the film’s closing moments. She found the silence at the end to be a beautiful and poignant choice, allowing the audience to fill in the emotional gaps. According to Bailey, the silence underscores Ani’s growth throughout the film, as she shifts from a person who is constantly speaking and advocating for herself to one who simply exists in a moment of vulnerability.
Igor (Image via Getty)
Bailey explained that Ani’s character has been vocal and assertive throughout the film, constantly engaging in arguments and challenges. However, in the final scene, there’s no need for words. When Ani and Igor first encounter one another, Igor is shown restraining Ani, but by the film’s end, he provides her with something she has never received before—space for her to be vulnerable. Bailey viewed this as a powerful shift in their dynamic, with Igor offering a silent form of support that allows Ani to break down and express herself in an intimate, unspoken way. This act of holding space for Ani, according to Bailey, makes the ending resonate on a deep emotional level.
Different Perspectives from Sex Work Professionals
Not all sex workers agree with how Anora portrays its characters, particularly Ani’s character arc. Reese Piper, a writer and stripper who has contributed to Mashable , shared a contrasting view on the film’s portrayal of Ani. Piper struggled to believe Ani’s quick transition from a sex worker to a woman swept up in the fantasy of a marriage to a wealthy client. Piper felt that the film never truly explored Ani’s professional persona, which she believed was essential to understanding her character. Sex workers often adopt a “mask” when interacting with clients, yet the film never depicted Ani wearing one. This omission left Piper questioning how Ani could so quickly fall for Vanya without the audience understanding her motivations or the internal barriers she might have built to protect herself.
Furthermore, Piper questioned whether the final scene portrayed Ani as reaching for her “sexualized self,” perhaps a version of herself she uses to cope with pain. When Igor continued to reach for intimacy, Ani’s breakdown seemed out of place to Piper, who felt that the film didn’t adequately set up this emotional turn. The absence of any exploration of Ani’s professional life left the ending feeling incomplete and disconnected for some viewers, particularly those familiar with the complexities of sex work.
Ani (Image via Getty)
Piper’s take highlights the fact that Anora ’s ending is ambiguous and subject to the interpretation of each viewer. While some appreciated the subtlety and non-verbal nature of the final scene, others, especially those familiar with the realities of sex work, found it lacking in depth. The film’s refusal to provide explicit insights into Ani’s inner thoughts left many grappling with what the ending meant for her character’s emotional journey. As Baker mentioned in his interview, the lack of clarity is purposeful, giving each audience member the freedom to take away their own interpretation based on what they have experienced in the film.
The Open Interpretation of Ani’s Story
In the end, Anora ’s final moments resonate differently for each viewer. While some appreciate the film’s subtlety and quiet emotional release, others feel that the ending fails to fully explain Ani’s internal transformation. The film’s choice to leave the audience to interpret Ani’s mindset speaks to the larger themes of the film—control, vulnerability, and emotional survival in a world where words and actions can be distorted by power dynamics. Sean Baker’s deliberate choice to keep the ending open-ended ensures that Anora stays with the viewer long after the credits roll, leaving room for reflection on the complexities of the characters’ lives and the choices they make.
Anora (Ani), a stripper in Brooklyn, impulsively marries Ivan, the reckless son of a Russian oligarch, during a wild Vegas fling. When his family finds out, they try to annul the marriage and reclaim control. The union spirals into a darkly comedic, gritty Cinderella-style adventure across Brooklyn, touching on class disparity, power dynamics, and survival under pressure.
