Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the most marketable football player in the world, according to a study from an international sports market research company and it comes as no surprise to those who follow the sport closely.
The Portuguese star is one of the most recognizable names, not only in football (or soccer, as it’s called in the US), but in sports in general. Whether you call him by his first or last name, fans know who Cristiano Ronaldo is.
Named after the American president Ronald Regan, the 29-year-old phenom had a remarkable year in 2014, breaking too many records to mention, ending as the highest scoring player in the Spanish league, La Liga, as well as becoming the top scoring player in the UEFA Champions League in a single season. All in all it was a dream season.
The only thing missing this year was the La Liga title, which his team, Real Madrid, lost to their across-town rivals, Ateltico Madrid.
However, Ronaldo helped Real to two European titles, the Copa del Rey and that elusive “La Decima”, the 10th UEFA Champions League title , which consolidated “Los Blancos” as one of the top football teams in the world.
La Décima is ours. Hala Madrid! #uclfinal #realmadrid #lisbon http://t.co/q0NPEFAJCD
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) May 24, 2014
We’re Champions of Europe! I’m living a dream! Thank you all! #halamadrid #UCLfinal #lisbon http://t.co/fJxbG49ET3 pic.twitter.com/pw3qx8QX8P
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) May 26, 2014
All of this translates into big money off the field for Cristiano Ronaldo, who is worth billions in sponsorships from some of the biggest companies in the world.
The report that named Ronaldo the top ranked most marketable football player in the world was released on Wednesday and also includes his nemesis, Argentine Lionel Messi, who came in second, and in a surprising turn, Gerard Pique from Spain came in third place.
The report used data that was based on the views of over 6,500 people in 13 countries — who allegedly represent the views of 1.5 billion people worldwide — and concluded that Ronaldo is the most marketable of them all.
Paul Smith, CEO of Repucom, the company behind the study stated:
“Ronaldo is an endorser’s dream. His value is as important to the teams he plays for as they are for the companies that endorse him.”
“Global awareness of Ronaldo is what drives his commercial power and with over 82 million Facebook likes and 26 million Twitter followers, he is also one of the most liked in the business.”
The study also determined that Cristiano Ronaldo is the most well-known football player in the world — and since the sport is the most popular in the planet — this translates into 83.9 percent of people being aware of who he is.
[Image courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo Facebook ]
