Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s combined net worth falls less than half the joint total of American billionaire athlete duo

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's combined net worth reportedly falls way short of the combined net worth of Tiger Woods and LeBron James. All four athletes are considered to be some of the greatest in their respective sports.

Woods has won 15 Major Championships in golf and won 82 PGA Tours overall. The American golfer has earned handsomely throughout his career through golf, sponsorships, and businesses. As per Forbes, Woods has a massive net worth of around $1.1 billion.

LeBron James, meanwhile, is a four-time NBA Champion. He broke the record for the highest number of points in NBA history in February 2023 with 38,600 points. James' net worth is just a little short of Woods', with the basketball superstar boasting a $1 billion net worth.

The duo combine for a massive $2.1 billion, which is more than double Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's combined net worth of $1 billion.

Messi and Ronaldo are widely regarded as the two greatest players in the history of football. They have won 12 Ballons d'Or between them and have dominated the game for the past 15 years.

Lionel Messi ($130 million), LeBron James ($121 million), and Cristiano Ronaldo ($115 million) notably formed the top three on Forbes' list of highest-paid athletes in 2022.

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Louis van Gaal on Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been widely hailed as the two greatest footballers of all time. However, choosing between them has been one of the fiercest debates in football.

Former Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal also shared his opinion on the same, saying (via Onda Cero):

"And the big question, Messi or Cristiano? The best players of this period are Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Choosing between them is difficult. Ronaldo has more results than Messi in titles. Messi has more individual awards, but Ronaldo is more of a team player."

He added:

"So you have to choose, I'm more of a team coach than an individual player. Messi may be the best football player, but you have to play as a team."

This could be deemed a contrarian claim as many people believe the Argentine ace to be more of a team player than his eternal rival. Regardless, the duo are certainly two of the greatest footballers of all time.

Lionel Messi will next be in action for Paris Saint-Germain against OGC Nice in Ligue 1 on April 8. Ronaldo, meanwhile, will face Al Feiha with Al-Nassr on April 9.