Messi vs. Cristiano: Who is really the king of luxury?
The stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can not only boast of being at the top of world football but also of leading a life worthy of envy. The 36-year-old Portuguese legend recently celebrated beating Pele's goalscoring record with a hat-trick against Cagliari, and now has a staggering 740 career goals from him.
While the 33-year-old Barcelona ace equaled Xavi's appearance record against Huesca, with 767 appearances for the Catalans. Due to their talent, both players have not only seen their titles increase but also their bank accounts. According to Forbes, they are the only footballers who can be considered billionaires. Both compete not only on the grass but on the level of their glamorous lives. What do they spend their money on and who is the king of luxury?
HOUSES
Cristiano has lived in amazing homes over the years, and it's been a long time since his humble beginnings in Madeira. After arriving at Old Trafford, Ronaldo spent nearly €3m on an incredible property at Alderley Edge. Then, when he moved to Real Madrid in 2009, he bought an impressive €4.9m mansion in the exclusive La Finca neighbourhood. He currently lives in Turin in two adjoining villas that are located on a private, security-guarded driveway that leads to a gated entrance. The villas themselves have separate entrances and are surrounded by lush gardens and greenery.
There's a state-of-the-art gym that he and Georgina love to use together, and there's also a swimming pool, where they cool off after workouts. Ronaldo also has a holiday home on the Costa del Sol bought in August for the "modest" price of 1.5 million euros. The residence is located in 'The Heights', an urbanization located next to the La Resina Golf Club that has 11 villas. The place has an unbeatable location and has a world-renowned neighbor… Martial arts legend Conor McGregor also has a house there. In 2015, the Portuguese star also surprised everyone by acquiring an apartment in the Trump Tower in Manhattan for 18 million dollars (16 million euros).
For his part, Leo Messi has a modern mansion of 6.5 million euros in Barcelona in which he lives with Antonella Roccuzzo. The house boasts incredible sea views and due to environmental restrictions there is a no-fly zone over the Castelldefels property. Just 20 kilometers from the Camp Nou, Messi's home also has a small soccer field, a swimming pool, an indoor gym and a playground for his children.
Earlier this year, Messi surprised with the purchase of a luxury apartment in the Porsche Design Tower in Miami for more than 8 million euros. The elegant Porsche Design Tower, completed in 2017, stands on the beachfront of Miami's Sunny Isles. Branded after the German supercar manufacturer of the same name, the building features three car elevators that allow residents to park their vehicle on the same floor as their suite.
cars
Juventus striker Ronaldo is a keen car collector, and SunSport has estimated the value of his garage at over €19m. The two highlights of his collection are his Bugatti Centodieci which cost more than 9 million and is one of only 10 in the world. He also owns a Bugatti Chiron worth 3.5 million and a Bugatti Veyron worth 2 million. For his 35th birthday, Georgina Rodríguez gave him a Mercedes G-Class Brabus, an SUV that can cost about 700,000 euros. He also owns a Lamborghini Aventador and a Ferrari F12 TDF.
Messi is also very fond of luxury cars. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner owns a €1.8m Pagani Zonda, which is the most expensive in his collection. He has a predilection for Maserati, with a GranTurismo S and a GranTurismo MC Stradale among his fleet.
Messi has also been seen driving a Ferrari F43 Spider in Barcelona.
PRIVATE PLANE
Both Ronaldo and Messi enjoy the jet set lifestyle, so it's no wonder they have their own planes.
Cristiano acquired his private plane in 2015 for a real pasture: almost 22 million euros. It is a personalized Gulstream G200, a model that began to be manufactured in 1999 and that today is quite a 'vintage' vehicle: there are only 250 in the world (in 2011 they stopped being produced). It is equipped with all kinds of comforts that make flying in it a luxury. It is also very spacious and Cristiano even has a closet where he keeps his designer clothes. There is Wi-Fi, telephone, fax, electric oven, microwave, fridge and a multimedia system.
But in addition, the Portuguese star has known how to make his investment profitable. And it is that, when neither he nor Georgina are using it to travel, a private company is in charge of renting it to third parties for the not insignificant sum of 3,000 euros per hour.
Transoceanic travel can be a hassle, because of the hours of flight and the fatigue, unless one travels in a luxurious private plane. Forced to make this type of flight, for professional and family reasons, Leo Messi decided in 2018 to do it in a luxurious private plane. It is a Gulftream V from 2004, with a Rolls Royce engine, valued at 13 million euros and which he enjoys under the leasing formula. The aircraft has a range of more than 10,000 kilometres, has 16 comfortable executive seats that convert into eight beds, has two bathrooms, one of them with a shower, and a kitchen. The aircraft has several personalized details, such as the number 10 on the tail or the names of Leo's wife and three children on the ladder that gives access to the plane.
I ALREADY
In 2019, Ronaldo added to his fortune a nearly 7 million superyacht. Built at Azimut-Benett's Versilia shipyards, it features five luxurious cabins and six stunningly decorated bathrooms. There is also a modern kitchen on board, as well as two relaxation areas, a large salon and a luxurious dining room. Its aerodynamic lines allow it to sail at a cruising speed of 12 knots and also reach a top speed of 28 knots.
Messi doesn't own a yacht, but he often vacations with friends like Luis Suarez and Cesc Fabregas aboard the Seven C yacht in Nearly 92 feet long, it was first built in 2003 before undergoing repairs in 2011. With luxurious interiors throughout, the ship accommodates ten guests in four bedrooms, including a master suite, a VIP stateroom and two twin cabins. Its expansive terrace area offers plenty of space to sunbathe and relax, while there is an outdoor bar to quench guests' thirst. Surprisingly, the rent costs 50,000 euros a week.
HOTELS
With their sights set on their retirement, Ronaldo and Messi have become promising hoteliers. The Argentine company MiM is run by his brother Rodrigo and has several hotels in Spain. It has hotels in Ibiza, Mallorca and Sitges and the latest addition to the group is the Himalaia hotel in the Spanish ski resort of Baqueira-Beret. Located at the foot of the slopes, next to the cable car, it enjoys a privileged mountain atmosphere in the heart of the Ruda Valley, framed by the Arán Valley.
With a superior four-star category, it has 141 rooms, including duplexes, Suites and Junior Suites, designed for families or friends with a maximum capacity of 5 people. All the rooms have a careful decoration, inspired by the high mountains and views of the valley or the mountains.
Cristiano is slowly building his hotel empire. Through the Pestana CR7 Group, the striker already has hotel rooms in Funchal and Lisbon. But there are plans to open hotels in New York, Madrid, Paris and Marrakech.
In addition, last November the Portuguese star received great news to approve a hotel with which he will be able to pay tribute to the city that saw him born as a world "crack". His proposal, made in August 2020, to build a luxurious hotel in Manchester was approved by the urban planning technicians of the English city, so it is a matter of time before it gets underway. Manchester's new CR7 Tab will be located on the corner of Piccadilly and Newton Street. It will open in 2023 and will feature 150 rooms plus a lounge bar on the ground floor and a rooftop terrace open to the public and guests.
