Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's first contracts revealed - including £516-a-month contract

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have enjoyed illustrious careers, with the pair regarded as two of the greatest footballers of all time - but they didn't always earn the big bucks.

Details of Cristiano Ronaldo's first contract with Sporting CP and Lionel Messi's initial contract with Barcelona have been revealed, revealing a stark difference.

Ronaldo, now 39, began his career in Lisbon, making his first-team debut in August 2002 during a Champions League qualifier against Inter Milan. His impressive performances led to a £12 million move to Manchester United in August 2003.

On the other hand, 36-year-old Messi joined Barcelona's youth system from Neville's Old Boys in 2000 and made his senior debut four years later. The Argentine star won his first major trophy, the La Liga title, after seven appearances in the 2004/05 season.

They are now worth millions upon millions, but what about when they first started? Well, according to the Daily Mail (via the Mirror ), Ronaldo earned an annual salary of £860,000 after signing his first professional contract. After moving to Manchester United, his salary more than doubled to £1.8m a year.

As reported by El Futbolero, Messi earned a paltry £516 a month as a youth player at Barcelona. His salary increased when he signed his first professional contract in February 2004, earning £2.6m per year. It was part of an eight-year deal with Barca, which initially included a €30m buyout clause that rose to €80m when he debuted for the club's B team.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have since become football legends, winning a total of 13 Ballon d'Ors and 13 Champions League titles between them. He holds the top two spots in the all-time top scorers charts in La Liga and the European Cup, among other records.

Ronaldo, who moved from United to Real Madrid in 2009 for a record-breaking transfer fee of £80m, has scored 745 club competitive goals and an additional 146 for Portugal. After nine years at Real, he moved to Juventus before returning to United for 15 months.

Now Ronaldo is playing for Al Nasr in Saudi Arabia. Despite recently turning 39, the Portuguese superstar shows no signs of slowing down, scoring 30 goals in 31 games this season. Forbes reports that Ronaldo is one of the highest earners in football, with his three-year contract at Al-Nasser worth around £175 million.

Messi, who was a key player for Barcelona for more than a decade, scored many goals and helped his team win several trophies. From 2009/10 to 2018/19, Messi has scored over 40 goals in every season for Barcelona.

In August 2021, Messi left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain. After two years in France, he moved to MLS last summer with Inter Miami. Marca report that Messi is earning £43m in Miami. He scored 11 goals in 14 matches during the 2023 season.