Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s first pay slips have been revealed in a fascinating video, showing how much less they earned then compared to now.
Messi and Ronaldo are among the highest paid footballers in the world as they have lucrative contracts with Inter Miami and Al Nassr respectively.
The Argentine joined MLS side Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, while the Portuguese swapped Europe for the Middle East in January 2023.
They are both on astonishing contracts, with Messi having a base salary of $12 million while Ronaldo receives an annual on-field salary of €19 million.
This is a far cry from what Messi and Ronaldo earned after coming up the ranks.
According to a video uploaded on target 90Messi and Ronaldo earned much less than they do now.
According to the video, the World Cup winner received €600 a month before signing a new deal at the age of 18, worth £250,000 a month.
As for Ronaldo, he was earning €40,000 a week at Manchester United when he signed for Sporting CP as a budding teenager.
Lionel Messi in action for Inter Miami. Image: Getty
After the tremendous growth in football, the earnings of Messi and Ronaldo have skyrocketed.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s net worth is estimated at around $600 million by Forbes, which pegged his career net worth at $1.28 billion in 2023.
As of 2024, the Real Madrid legend has an estimated net worth of between £500 million and £600 million.
Both players also earn more money through incentives and lucrative endorsement deals.
Additionally, Ronaldo is in line to pen a new contract with Al Nassr to extend his stay in Saudi Arabia, with a blockbuster deal reportedly agreed upon.
Asked if he moved to Saudi Arabia for the money, the 39-year-old said: “I came here to win. To win trophies, to make Al Nassr better, to make the Saudi Pro League better, change the culture.”
He added: “I want to be successful, I want to leave a legacy. This is what I want. That’s why I’m here. They help me, I help them. We are one unit.
“I take a piece of my cake, take a piece of the Netflix cake, Saudis, everyone. We work for a bigger cake, it’s a win-win.”