Lisbon: Cristiano Ronaldo is en route to becoming first football player to cross $1 billion in career earnings. This is despite the fact that Ronaldo has reportedly agreed to a wage cut of nearly 4 million euros with his club Juventus so as to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Forbes, the cut hardly puts a dent on the Portuguese captain's annual earnings and he had earned a staggering $109 million last year. A further 30 per cent wage cut is on the cards with the Serie A frozen due to the pandemic but Ronaldo could still earn an estimated $46 million annual paycheck.
The earnings he receives from his sponsorship deals and his CR7 underwear line could help take his earnings this year close to the $100 million mark again. This would help take him past the $1 billion in total earnings over an 18-year career. Ronaldo made his professional debut in 2002.
The 35-year-old is currently in his hometown of Madeira as the football season in Italy and around the world grinded to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Three of Ronaldo's teammates at Juventus -- Argentine star Paulo Dybala, Italian defender Daniele Rugani and France's World Cup-winning midfielder Blaise Matuidi have all tested positive for the novel virus.
