Cristiano Ronaldo, the renowned Portuguese soccer star, continues his penchant for luxury real estate, and his latest investment suggests a growing affinity for the United Arab Emirates following his inaugural season with the Saudi Arabian professional football club, Al Nassr.
Fresh off a reported $200 million-per-year deal with Al Nassr, Ronaldo has reportedly acquired a mansion in Dubai, marking a significant real estate move. The 38-year-old forward’s prospective residence, still under construction on Jumeirah Bay Island, colloquially known as “Billionaires Island,” is slated for completion later in 2024, according to sources familiar with the neighborhood who spoke to Bloomberg. The exact purchase price of this opulent estate remains undisclosed, but speculation suggests Ronaldo invested “tens of millions of euros” in the property.
Jumeirah Bay Island, shaped like a seahorse, has emerged as an exclusive haven for high-net-worth individuals, overshadowing other affluent emirate neighborhoods such as Dubai Hills, Palm Jumeirah, and Emirates Hills, as reported by Bloomberg. The gated community offers a private yacht club, a beach resort, and multiple fine-dining establishments. Notably, developer Wissam Damaa of Palace Luxury Living, along with former SoftBank executive Akshay Naheta, is set to introduce a collection of 10 luxury mega-mansions on the island, collectively priced at over 5 million.
Ronaldo’s new residence places him in esteemed company, sharing the locale with wealthy residents like Saudi billionaire Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, Israeli businessman and real estate mogul Teddy Sagi, and Isabel dos Santos, daughter of the late former Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos and once Africa’s wealthiest woman.
Acknowledged as Forbes’s highest-paid professional athlete in 2023, Ronaldo continues to expand his real estate holdings with his substantial earnings. Beyond his new Middle Eastern property, Ronaldo and his longtime girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, own a grand four-story residence in Madrid’s prestigious La Finca neighborhood. The Madrid property, where Ronaldo’s initials adorn the entry gate’s metal detailing, has been recently put on the rental market. Additionally, the soccer star is overseeing the construction of a $22 million mega-mansion in Portugal, intended to be his post-retirement residence. Anticipated for completion this year, the Portugal mansion is poised to become the most expensive private residence in the country.
