Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo is the most marketable athlete in the world!
This is according to a list compiled by SportsPro via The Mail. In their analysis and research, the United talisman came out on top ahead of other greats in the world of sports.
Ronaldo topped the chart by a significant margin ahead of second-placed tennis sensation Serena Williams.
Englishman and 7-time Formula 1 World champion Lewis Hamilton came in third.
Basketball legend LeBron James and Ronaldo’s old rival Lionel Messi rounded off the top five on the list.
The 37-year-old is one of the biggest stars in the world and is widely considered as one of the greatest footballers to have ever played the sport.
Ronaldo also boasts of being the most followed individual on Instagram in the world. He has over 489 million followers.
Some of the Portuguese’s most notable lucrative brand deals include Nike, Clear, Livescore and Herbalife. He also has his own collection of clothes, sunglasses and perfumes that sell across the globe.
Michael Long, SportsPro’s editorial director, said on who is the most marketable athlete in the world, “We at SportsPro have asked ourselves that very question every year since 2010, and each year the process of answering it provides a fascinating snapshot of the business of athlete marketing.”
“Marketability can be defined in many ways, but what’s clear from our in-depth assessment is that each of the athletes in this year’s diverse list delivers considerable value to their brand partners.”
“Not only are they elite, highly visible performers in their respective sports, their individual reach and influence and, in many cases, willingness to speak out on social issues positions them as ideal ambassadors for companies seeking to communicate authentically to consumers.”
While Ronaldo’s influence on the pitch for United may have dramatically dwindled, his reach in terms of marketing and value awareness remains steadfast.
One could argue that it is for this reason that the Glazers were so hellbent on keeping him at Old Trafford despite numerous attempts by the player to depart.
Hopefully, he can start contributing football-wise to United and help the team
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