Cristiano Ronaldo shocked the world when he returned to his former club, Manchester United, on Friday. The Portuguese superstar followed in the footsteps of his arch-rival Lionel Messi after the former FC Barcelona man moved to Ligue 1 this summer.

While Messi moved to Paris Saint Germain on a free transfer, Manchester United signed Ronaldo for a measly €15m with €8m in add-ons. The former Juventus man took a massive wage cut, much like Messi, to join the club where he won his first Ballon d’Or and UEFA Champions League.

Cristiano Ronaldo will earn around £480,000-per-week at his new club. He’ll still be the fifth best-paid player in the world with yearly wages of €23 million. Lionel Messi is still at the top of the list after his wages were drastically reduced to €35 million per year.

Ronaldo earned around €32million-a-year in wages at Juventus, which brings his pay cut to almost €10 million. However, the numbers get astronomically high for Lionel Messi, as the Argentinian reportedly earned between €70 million and €90 million per season.

He was the highest earner in the world of football by far, and now that he has slashed his wages by half, he’s still number one. It can be argued that he brought more money to the club than he took, and that would be true. PSG sold a million shirts bearing Messi’s name on the day of his signing, and the revenue generated by the shirts would amount to over €100 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi in 2020/21: By the numbers.

The two greatest players of all time have refused to decline with age and were the best players in their leagues last season. Ronaldo ended his Serie A campaign with 29 goals, and he was close to overtaking Messi in the Pichichi award.

However, the Argentinian trumped him again and scored 30 goals in 35 games. Moreover, Messi ended up with 11 assists to his name, while Ronaldo only had three. Nevertheless, now that both of them are in better teams, it will be interesting to see how they perform this season.

Trending

Unfazed by Ryan Reynolds’ Silence, Wrexham Fans Join Pep Guardiola in Questioning FA Cup Statement

April 19, 2024 09:19 PM EDT

MLS Enrolls New Rules For Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami & Other Teams- VAR Reviews, Timed Substitution & More

April 22, 2024 07:43 AM EDT

The ‘Lionel Messi Effect’ Rules Over America- Another MLS Record in Danger as Inter Miami Takes On New England Revolution

April 22, 2024 07:07 AM EDT

Wrexham Boss Phil Parkinson Delivers 3-Word Warning To Current Squad After Securing Promotion For Ryan Reynolds’ Side

April 23, 2024 03:21 PM EDT

Who is Cristiano Ronaldo’s Eldest Son Cristiano Jr’s Biological Mother?

July 12, 2023 09:29 AM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest Soccer stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

BARGAIN! The Shockingly Low Amount Manchester United Paid for Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus