The Astonishing Net Worth of Football's Leading Man Cristiano Ronaldo Is Revealed

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best, and most famous footballers in the world and it is not surprising that the 32-year-old is also amongst the top earners in the sport, but are you aware of what Ronaldo's true net worth is?

The forward has played professional football since his teenage years and has since found himself catapulted into superstardom, both on and off the pitch, which has resulted in him currently earning a hefty £30.8m a year with Real Madrid.

With a star as bright as he is, Ronaldo has always commanded a spot in the top bracket of earners at each club he has played for, as well as securing lucrative sponsorship deals which anyone would be jealous of - if you weren't already. 

The Express took their investigation of Ronaldo's earnings to another level by identifying the 32-year-old's net worth, which according to CelebrityNetWorth.com is in the region of a staggering £308m.

The result makes him the richest footballer in the world, ahead of his rivals Lionel Messi and Neymar. 

The value has seemingly been calculated based on his career earnings, which first saw him command a £9.5m salary in his first year at Manchester United under manager Alex Ferguson in 2003. 

In 2007, the then 22-year-old signed a new five-year contract extension with the Red Devils worth £23m which made him the club's highest paid player in history. However, his stay at Old Trafford ended in 2009 after he made a lucrative move to Real Madrid where he was initially paid £19m a year - which has since risen to astronomical levels.

Although his 15-year career has piled millions into his bank account, it is his off-field deals which have significantly pushed him to become the richest football player in the world as his lifetime contract with Nike is worth an unfathomable £772m alone - with reports suggesting he received a £77m signing bonus in addition. 

Ronaldo has an impressive portfolio of endorsement deals as alongside his partnership with one of sport's leading brands, he also works with Tag Heuer, Sacoor Brothers, Monster headphones, Armani where he replaced David Beckham as their male face - KFC, Castrol, Coca Cola, Emirates and Konami.