Nastia Liukin
$5 million
Ronaldo Nazário — the Brazilian striker known globally as R9 and O Fenômeno (The Phenomenon) — holds an estimated $120 million net worth built through one of the most statistically dominant playing careers in football history, a lifetime Nike contract reported to be worth over $180 million, and a post-retirement business portfolio spanning football club ownership, sports marketing, e-sports, real estate, and media production.
Updated March 2026: According to Goal.com and Tuko, Ronaldo Nazário’s net worth is estimated at approximately $120–160 million, derived from his playing career earnings at FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and other clubs, a Nike lifetime sponsorship, and ongoing business ventures including his stake in Real Valladolid.
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima was born on September 18, 1976, in Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (his birth certificate lists September 22, a discrepancy his family has acknowledged). He grew up in Bento Ribeiro, a working-class suburb on the northern edge of Rio de Janeiro, and dropped out of school as a child to pursue football. His parents separated when he was 11. Ronaldo learned football on the streets and in local parks, playing barefoot with neighborhood children. His exceptional scoring ability became apparent within his first youth season at the Social Ramos futsal club, where he scored 166 goals in a single season at age 12, including 11 goals in a single game.
At age 12, Ronaldo was spotted by former Brazilian international Jairzinho, who was coaching São Cristóvão. Jairzinho recommended Ronaldo to his former club Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte when Ronaldo was 16. Cruzeiro’s agents paid his family €50,000 for his registration — a small fee that would prove one of the great undervaluations in football history. Ronaldo had been rejected by Flamengo, the club he supported as a boy, after the team refused to pay his bus fare to training sessions.
Ronaldo made his professional debut for Cruzeiro at 16 and scored 44 goals in 47 games across two seasons, leading the club to their first Copa do Brasil in 1993 and the Minas Gerais State Championship in 1994. He joined the Brazilian national team in March 1994 and, at age 17, was the youngest member of Brazil’s squad at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, though he did not play as Brazil won their fourth title.
After the 1994 World Cup, Ronaldo joined PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, scoring 54 goals in 57 appearances and attracting the attention of Europe’s biggest clubs. In 1996, FC Barcelona paid a then-world record $19.5 million transfer fee to bring him to Spain. His single season at the Camp Nou was transformative: he scored 47 goals in 49 games across all competitions, won the La Liga top scorer award with 34 league goals, and scored the winning goal in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final. He was named the 1996 FIFA World Player of the Year at 20 — the youngest recipient of the award.
In 1997, Inter Milan broke the world transfer record a second time, paying $27 million to bring Ronaldo to Serie A — making him the second player in history, after Diego Maradona, to break the world transfer record twice. At Inter, he scored 59 goals in 99 appearances and won the 1997 Ballon d’Or, remaining the youngest recipient of that award. He also won the 1997 FIFA World Player of the Year for the second consecutive time and was named player of the tournament at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, where Brazil reached the final.
Ronaldo’s career was then interrupted by severe knee injuries. He suffered a serious patellar tendon rupture in November 1999 and a second rupture in April 2000, missing nearly three full seasons. His return for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea became one of football’s great comeback narratives: he led Brazil to their fifth World Cup title with eight goals in the tournament — including two in the final against Germany in Yokohama — winning the Golden Boot as top scorer and his third FIFA World Player of the Year award.
Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid in 2002 for €46 million, joining the club’s famed Galácticos era alongside Zinedine Zidane, Luís Figo, Roberto Carlos, and David Beckham. He scored 104 goals in 177 appearances for Madrid, including a famous hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Champions League. He scored over 100 goals for Madrid across four full seasons and won the La Liga title in 2002–03. After spells at AC Milan (2007–2008) and Corinthians (2009–2011), he retired from professional football in February 2011 due to recurring thyroid and weight problems compounded by his knee injury history. His career total stands at 309 goals in 481 club appearances, with 62 goals in 98 international appearances for Brazil.
Ronaldo has three children: Ronald (born 2000, with former model Milene Domingues, whom he married in 1999 and divorced in 2003), Maria Alice (born 2005, with model Maria Beatriz Antony), and Alex (born 2010, with former beauty queen Michele Umezu). He is currently in a relationship with Celina Locks, a Brazilian model, with whom he has been linked since 2015. Ronaldo has been open about his health struggles, including a thyroid disorder diagnosed during his career that affected his weight and contributed to his early retirement at age 34. He has served as a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador since 2000, focusing on poverty reduction and has been involved in charitable foundations supporting youth development in Brazil. He turned 49 in September 2025 and remains a prominent public figure in Brazilian sport and culture.
Ronaldo Nazário’s net worth is estimated at $120 million. His wealth was built through an estimated $200–250 million in playing career contracts, a Nike lifetime deal reported to be worth over $180 million, and post-retirement business ventures including football club ownership (Real Valladolid, Cruzeiro), the sports agency 9ine, Octagon Brasil, and his R9 Academy franchise network.
Ronaldo earned the nickname O Fenômeno (The Phenomenon) due to his unique combination of explosive pace, exceptional ball control, and goal-scoring ability that set him apart from all other strikers of his era. He was the first player since Diego Maradona to break the world transfer record twice, won three FIFA World Player of the Year awards and two Ballon d’Or titles, and overcame catastrophic knee injuries to lead Brazil to the 2002 World Cup — a story widely regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history.
Yes. Ronaldo Nazário won the FIFA World Cup twice with Brazil. He was part of the 1994 World Cup-winning squad in the United States at age 17, though he did not play. In 2002, he was the tournament’s decisive player, scoring eight goals including both in the final against Germany (a 2–0 Brazil victory in Yokohama, Japan), winning the Golden Boot and propelling Brazil to their fifth world title. He also played at the 1998 World Cup, where Brazil reached the final, and the 2006 World Cup in Germany, finishing with 15 career World Cup goals — a record at the time that tied Pelé’s Brazilian record.
As of March 2026, Ronaldo is 41 years old. Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985 in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
Ronaldo stands 6 ft 2 in tall (187 cm).
Ronaldo has been in a relationship with Georgina Rodríguez since 2016, and the couple became engaged in 2025. They have five children together and through surrogacy. Rodríguez is a model and businesswoman who has become a major celebrity in her own right.
Yes, Ronaldo has five children: Cristiano Jr. (15), twins Eva Maria and Mateo (8), Alana Martina (8, with Georgina Rodríguez), and Bella Esmeralda (3, also with Rodríguez). The family currently lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he plays for Al-Nassr. His mansion is valued at approximately $20 million. He also owns luxury properties in Madrid, Lisbon, and other locations around the world.
Ronaldo earns approximately $200–235 million per year from his contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr, making him the highest-paid footballer in history. This figure includes his base salary, commercial rights, and performance bonuses.