In Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate, we have a winner. But not on the field, off it. On field both Ronaldo and Messi continue have left the fans divided with their magical football skills. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has beaten Messi to became the first billionaire footballer in the world. As per 2020 Forbes Celebrity 100, list of world’s highest-paid celebrities, Ronaldo finds himself at number four and Messi one place below him. Kylie Jenner, Kanye West and Roger Federer are celebrities ahead of Ronaldo, thus making him the richest footballer. Cristiano Ronaldo Shares Adorable Photo of His Daughters Eva & Alana, Says ‘I Fall in Love Every Time I See These Two’.

The Juventus and Portugal footballer earned USD 105 million before taxes and fees in the past one year to become the first football player in history to earn USD 1 billion across his playing career. Messi, who is fifth on the list, collected USD 104 million in last year. Brazil's Neymar with USD 95.5 million is the other footballer in top ten.

Interestingly, Ronaldo is only the third athlete to enter the billion-dollar mark in his career. Tiger Woods was the first (2009) and Floyd Mayweather the second (2017). Also, Ronaldo is the first to reach the earnings milestone in a team sport. Lionel Messi Puts Exit Rumours to Rest, Chooses to Stay at Barcelona This Summer.

The 35-year-old has made USD 650 million on the pitch during his 17 years as a pro and is tipped to reach USD 765 million. Messi, on the other hand, has earned a total of USD 605 million in salary since 2005. It must be noted that Messi, started playing as a pro three years after his Portuguese rival.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 05, 2020 09:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).