Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed to a pay cut to help Juventus control costs during the coronavirus pandemic. Even with the pay cut, which is reported to range from $4.24 million to $20 million, the Portuguese superstar is expected to become only the third active athlete to crack the $1 billion mark in career earnings by the end of the season.
This is due to the extraordinarily high amount Ronaldo earns from endorsements in addition to his Juventus salary. Forbes estimates CR7 will earn around $45 million from endorsements this season alone, which includes a deal with Nike and his own line of underwear, cologne, and footwear.
While his exact Juventus pay cut is unconfirmed, European media outlets report the amount to be $4.24 million, while Forbes estimates that it could be as high as $20 million. Forbes arrived at that figure due to Juventus confirming the pay cuts would save around $100 million, amounting to 30 percent of the club’s spend on salary. $20 million would be 30 percent of Ronaldo’s reported $66 million Juventus salary.
Even with the $20 million pay cut, Cristiano Ronaldo would walk away with $46 million in salary from Juventus in addition to the estimated $45 million in endorsements, leaving the superstar with $91 million in earnings this season alone.
