Cristiano Ronaldo is not just famous for his soccer abilities. The Portuguese star is well-known for his great looks, ripped body, and prolific social following, with whom he often shares his adventures. The 38-year-old remains one of the most consistent athletes in the world, as proven by his 48 goals and assists in 42 games for club and country in 2023.
Despite his efforts on and off the pitch and his continued popularity on social media, particularly Instagram, Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the 27th most marketable athlete in the world, a list that has angered many football fans who believe he should be higher up the list.
Ronaldo plunges in marketability ranking by 26 places
Despite being the most followed individual on Instagram with over 600 million followers, Cristiano Ronaldo’s market power has dropped, according to Sports Pro Media. The Al-Nassr forward topped the 2022 ranking, but soccer fans were surprised as they learned the Portuguese star has dropped to 27th place in the 2023 edition of the list.
This may be due to his move to the Middle East, where global attention is not as big as in Europe or the Americas. Following regular issues with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag last season, which led to a public criticism of the manager, Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract with the club was terminated.
The former Juventus forward played the 2022 World Cup in Qatar without a club, and it did not take long before he signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Saudi club. His performance didn’t quite reach regular heights for his new club last season as he tried to adapt to a new system.
However, it has been a different story for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner this as he’s scored 48 goals and assists in 42 games for club and country, including a brace in the 5-0 win over Bosnia some days ago.
Messi beats NBA icon LeBron James as the most marketable athlete
In the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the list of the most marketable athletes in the world, Lionel Messi has again dominated the top spot. This is the second time the World Cup winner will be making the top of the list, beating the likes of LeBron James, Alex Morgan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kylian Mbappe, and many more.
Sports Pro curated the list with the support of Northstar Solutions Group, using enhanced methodology to develop a detailed assessment of the market and which athletes are dominating it.
Messi may yet dominate the headlines in the next few weeks as a leaked ranking shows the Argentine ranked higher than Erling Haaland in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings, which would make him claim his eighth Ballon d’Or.
Who will win this year’s Ballon d’Or? Let us know your predictions in the comments.
