He's the highest paid athlete in the world and has held on to this title for the past few consecutive years. He's also recognized as a trendsetter, a discerning collector, and the best brand ambassador possible. Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed all of these on his most recent public appearance.
Last weekend, Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, was the place to be for everyone who's anyone, whether a fan of boxing or not. British heavyweight champion, now former world champ Tyson Fury went up against Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, and lost by split-decision. Cristiano Ronaldo was in attendance.
He wasn't the only resounding name inside the venue. Anthony Joshua, Neymar, Ryan Garcia, Wladimir Klitschko, Amir Khan, and David Haye were among the many big names and celebrities inside the venue, but only Ronaldo got the kind of spectacular entrance worthy of his reputation as a trendsetter.
CR7 made his way to the venue in his brand-new Ferrari Purosangue don't-call-it-an-SUV FUV (Ferrari Utility Vehicle), which he paired with a rather modest $4,000 all-Gucci outfit and an absolutely outrageous Franck Muller watch that is both extremely rare and painfully expensive at $1.5 million. You wouldn't expect any less from the guy who casually admits that he forgets how many cars he owns or who switches up his watch game as frequently as normies buy socks, if not even more so.
Photo: Instagram/Cristiano Ronaldo
The Purosangue is a relatively new addition to Ronaldo's collection, which has long surpassed $20 million. He first showed it off on social media in January this year, with reports saying that it must've cost him over $500,000 to spec. It comes in a gorgeous deep blue color that's probably Blu Scozia, with a light interior, probably in Crema.
The Purosangue is Ferrari's first four-door, four-seat car, based on the same platform as the Ferrari Roma, adjusted for the larger dimensions. Power comes from a naturally aspirated V12 based on the unit used in the 812 Superfast and delivering 715 hp and 716 Nm (528 lb-ft) of torque.
Revealed in late 2022 after years of speculation and denials on Ferrari's part about its existence, the Purosangue is sold out through 2026. Word online is that Ferrari chose the right to select its customers for the first two years of production, which is fairly standard Ferrari practice that seems to be confirmed by the fact that Ronaldo is driving one.
Photo: Franck Muller
In this context, a car like this (not an SUV, mind you) would only pair with an exclusive watch. Luckily, Ronaldo had just the thing for this particular outing: a diamond-and-ruby limited-edition piece from Franck Muller that's been in his collection at least since 2020.
It's called the Franck Muller Tourbillon Trumps Van Cleef & Arpels "Mystery Set," a 42mm 18K white gold watch dripping in gems: 424 diamonds and rubies, if you care to count, all of them in an "invisible setting," which gives the piece its name. "Serti Mysterieux" in French is the name of a technique in high-end jewelry of setting gemstones within an invisible mounting.
For mortals looking on, this makes the watch appear glazed in diamonds. If you know anything of Ronaldo, you know that this kind of excessive, outrageous bling is very much in keeping with his brand – just like driving himself to an event in his brand new, rare car is.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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