Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo has made history as the first footballer to reach billionaire status, boasting an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Cristiano Ronaldo leads the list as football's first billionaire. See the full ranking of the world's wealthiest players including Messi, Beckham, and Mbappé for 2025.

It therefore made sense to begin with some notable omissions by shining a light on greats like Stanley Matthews, Alan Shearer, Kevin Keegan, Paul Scholes, Gary Lineker, Bobby Moore, Ryan Giggs and Ian Rush, who all etched their name in history thanks to their outstanding achievements.