Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have had illustrious careers, with the pair considered two of the greatest footballers of all time – but they didn’t always earn a fortune.

Details of Cristiano Ronaldo ‘s first contract with Sporting CP and Lionel Messi’s first contract with Barcelona have been revealed, revealing significant differences.

Ronaldo is now 39 years old, he began his career in Lisbon, making his first team debut in August 2002 in a Champions League qualifying match against Inter Milan. CR7’s impressive performances led to his £12 million move to Man United in August 2003.

As for Messi, the 36-year-old Argentine striker, El Pulga joined Barcelona’s youth system from Newell’s Old Boys in 2000 and made his first team debut four years later. The Argentine international won his first major title, La Liga, after 7 appearances in the 2004/05 season.

After having great success with Real and Barca, both superstars received record salaries in the football world, but what about when they first started their careers?

According to the Daily Mail (via Mirror), Ronaldo earned an annual salary of £860,000 after signing his first professional contract. His salary more than doubled to 1.8 million pounds/year after moving to Man United.

El Futbolero newspaper reported that Messi earned a modest salary of £516/month as a young player at Barcelona. His salary soared when he signed his first professional contract in February 2004, earning £2.6 million a year. This is part of an eight-year contract with Barca, which initially included a buyout clause worth 30 million Euros, which was later increased to 80 million Euros when he debuted for the club’s B team.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have since become contemporary football legends, in total they have won 13 Golden Balls and 13 Champions League titles. The two superstars hold the top two positions in the all-time top scorer rankings in La Liga and the European Cup, along with many other records to date.