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November 28, 2025
Ronaldo’s goals may dominate the headlines, but the real insiders know his bank balance was built just as much off the pitch as on it. Behind the spotlight sits a network of smart partnerships, long-term bets, and savvy brand moves that quietly turned CR7 into one of the world’s richest and most strategic athletes...
Everyone talks about Ronaldo’s record goals, but almost no one talks about the partnerships that padded his bank account for years. This man is more than just a football icon. Beyond that, he’s a very smart businessman with a strategic mind, making him one of the richest in the world.
The most surprising part is that some of his biggest money deals are not directly related to football, but many don’t know this. But that’s why we exist as the most trusted source for this kind of information.
We’ve verified all the partnerships from all the available public documentation and brought them all in one place. So, no need to worry about searching elsewhere. Read on and see for yourself.
Cristiano Ronaldo - More than a player
We’ll start from the biggest of all of the Ronaldo partnerships, which is Nike. The estimated value is reported to exceed $1B across his lifetime, so imagine how solid it is. In fact, only two other athletes have this form of lifetime deal with Nike: LeBron and Jordan. That makes Ronaldo the only footballer to have such a partnership.
Nike chose to opt for the Ronaldo brand empire for good reasons. First and foremost is the trust that he commands; he has built such a legendary reputation within his career, and brands will do anything just to get his signature. We can also cite his business-minded nature as another major reason.
For Ronaldo, Nike was also a solid choice because of the long-term stability that the deal brought to the table. He’s a businessman who prioritizes long-term stability over anything; he’s for deals that last, not quick cash. And for both parties, it’s a win-win.
This is one that most fans and followers are most aware of because of its direct relation to his football career.
The Al Nassr and Saudi contract is one of the biggest in football, reported to be approximately $200M+ per year.
In addition, there are several commercial clauses in the agreement.
Beyond money, the Saudi move was also a Ronaldo business strategy. With it, he was able to push his brand into the Middle East.
Not to mention, the move also increased Ronaldo's global sponsorships, opening doors to more partnerships. And in all of this, he was the key to bringing the Saudi league into the spotlight.
That is the influence that Cristiano Ronaldo commands.
The CR7 brand spreads across different sectors, including:
• Hotels in Penstana
• Gyms with Crunch
• Underwear
• Eyewear
• Fragrances
It has gotten to a point where people ask questions like “What does he not do?” Well, he’s a businessman; no one should expect anything less.
For Cristiano, these are long-term revenue sources because he can’t play football forever. So, even while actively involved in the sport, Ronaldo's off-pitch earnings tell us that he’s building something for when he won’t be on the pitch anymore.
Another angle is also from the direction of wanting to serve his global audience. While he can’t always be present in countries like Canada, where his influence is strong enough that a university even created a course about him, he can still extend his presence through his products.
That is why brand ownership is something businessmen prefer; they have more control over it than traditional sponsorships.
Unsurprisingly, the Ronaldo business deals also extend to digital audiences through Binance. This partnership covers NFT collections and digital branding at large. It is a very lucrative deal, considering that everyone would love to own something with the CR7 trademark.
This deal with Binance shows Ronaldo’s business sense – he partners with established brands that use strong verification systems. It’s similar to how players prefer regulated casinos offering consistent payouts, because trust and reliability matter when digital money is involved.
That shows that he’s not “just in for the money.” And in the long run, that is good PR for his brand image.
As such, people will surely trust his “recommendations” in the near future. Even if it is an iGaming brand, people will view it as one of the trusted online casinos because of the Ronaldo influence.
LiveScore is one of the modern pioneers of real-time football updates, and Ronaldo was pivotal in this success. He became the face of LiveScore for multiple years, pushing them to the global spotlight.
For the brand, CR7 was the obvious choice for the job because of his unrivaled global fanbase that extends beyond England, Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia.
At the same time, it was a mutually beneficial deal. With more people using the platform, they can also actively keep up with his career stats and records from the past and present.
Many people forget that Ronaldo also partnered with PokerStars in 2015, serving as a global ambassador during one of the brand’s biggest marketing pushes. It was an unexpected collaboration, but it showed how early he recognized the growing crossover between football and online gaming.
The partnership also reflected a broader industry shift: major gaming platforms beginning to work with global athletes to expand their visibility.
This trend eventually became standard, with casino and gaming brands sponsoring jerseys, stadiums, and even digital events.
Cristiano approached these collaborations as strategic moves, not just endorsements. By taking calculated risks in new digital industries, he strengthened his business profile.
Enough of the big brands, because that is not all that Cristiano Ronaldo's sponsorships are all about. He also works with the “smaller” brands, contributing millions in Ronaldo endorsement revenue generated.
Some of these brands are Herbalife, Clear Shampoo, TAG Heuer, and several others. They are not familiar names per se, but he still deems them significant as partners. This is a notable business strategy for CR7: actively diversifying his portfolio.
It is a good lesson about not putting all eggs in one basket.
Ronaldo can afford this luxury because of his established image. Here is why brands wouldn’t second-guess a chance to get his commitment:
• Global audience
• Clean reputation
• Trustworthiness
• Massive social influence
As promised, we’ve covered all the partnerships that quietly made Ronaldo millions outside the well-known deals. With this, one thing is clear: Cristiano’s success is not by luck.
It comes from hard work and smart decisions.
This is reflected in the type of brands he chooses to work with; all of them are verified, safe, and aligned with his public image. Just like everyone follows the Ronaldo brand empire on the pitch, we also encourage following his off-pitch journey because there is a lot to be learnt from it.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on December 21, against Al Najma, for the Saudi Pro League. You can watch Al Najma vs Al Nassr, AC Milan vs Lazio, Barcelona vs Alaves, Manchester City vs Leeds, Tottenham vs Fulham and Everton vs Newcastle, all matches provided from our soccer live game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Najma vs Al Nassr kick-off time (21-12-2025):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 01:30
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 23:00
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+3: 20:30
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 18:30
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 17:30
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 14:30
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 13:30
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 10:30
Sources: ronaldo7.net / independent.co.uk / cnn.com
