Cristiano Ronaldo: Football's First Billionaire Player (from Good Bad Billionaire)

Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup journey is over, and whether we'll ever see him in a Portugal shirt again remains to be seen. In this special edition of Football Daily, BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng brings you an episode of the Good Bad Billionaire podcast, exploring how Ronaldo transformed himself from a boy growing up in poverty on the remote island of Madeira into one of the most recognisable people on the planet. Together they trace Ronaldo's remarkable rise from a homesick teenager at Sporting CP's academy to global superstardom with Manchester United and Real Madrid, where relentless dedication, record-breaking performances and shrewd business decisions helped turn him into both a sporting icon and a global brand. Zing and Simon explore the business of modern football: from mega transfers and billion-dollar brand deals, to tax battles and legal disputes. Ronaldo leveraged social media fame to build his CR7 empire, so is he the ultimate self-made success story, a divisive global brand, or simply the most effective monetiser of talent in sporting history? Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics, and success. If you want to listen to more of the podcast, including episodes about LeBron James and Roman Abramovich, then search ‘Good Bad Billionaire’ on BBC Sounds.