Winning the Ballon d’Or is an honor very few soccer players have ever had, in recent years many observers and fans have had to watch Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo battle it out over world soccer’s biggest individual prize. Before the Messi – CR7 battles the award was a little more spread out.
Winners have ranged from Roberto Baggio, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Ronaldinho, and George Weah. Many of these players have gone on to become legends of the game and carve out a great life for themselves.
The Sun published an article on the net worth of some of the past Ballon d’Or winners, it’s a list of who’s who in the soccer world.
Lionel Messi
Messi recently signed a huge mega deal with Inter Miami and Major League Soccer, his net worth in 2023 could be in the $127 million range although due to various incentives he could earn nearly double what has been listed.
Cristiano Ronaldo
CR7 signed a mega deal with Al- Nassr and has a near lifetime contract with Nike estimated to be worth in the $1 billion range. The Portuguese international still has some of the best endorsements on the planet and he continues to be a prime figure in all of soccer. In 2023 CR7 is estimated to earn $440 million.
Luis Figo
The one-time best winger in the world won the Ballon d’Or while playing at Real Madrid, according to The Sun the net worth of Figo is still in the $50 million range.
Other Ballon d’Or winners net worth
Kaka is slated to have a net worth of $90 million, Zinedine Zidane $63 million, and Karim Benzema with $76 million.