Cristiano Ronaldo shifted the landscape of soccer when he moved to the Saudi Pro League at the start of 2023. The financial aspect of his new contract at Al-Nassr is well documented, however, a new report has revealed the impact of Al-Nassr’s move on Ronaldo’s marketability.
As per Sports Pro Media, Cristiano Ronaldo is now the 27th most marketable athlete in the world. He was top of the rankings last year, however, he tumbled down 26 places due to his move to Saudi Arabia with the Saudi Pro League.
On the flip side, Lionel Messi topped the rankings after his move to MLS with Inter Miami. The Argentine’s global exposure has been on the rise since winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The marketability of the former Barcelona player increased with his move to the United States.
🚨 Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia has seen him tumble from first to 27th in a list of sport’s most-marketable stars, which is now topped by Lionel Messi ahead of LeBron James.
England’s Lucy Bronze is 15th and Harry Kane 22nd.
(Source: Sports Pro Media) pic.twitter.com/fs0CkbKSf4
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) October 18, 2023
Lionel Messi is joined by three more soccer players in the top 10 of this list. Former teammate and current PSG star, Kylian Mbappe is in 9th place. The American duo, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe are in 3rd and 5th place respectively.
Fans’ reaction to the list was full of shock and confusion regarding Ronaldo’s position. Comments like, “In what world is Messi more marketable than Ronaldo,” “Since when did the MLS make you way more marketable”, and “Now what’s their metric,” echoed the outrage of the fan base of Ronaldo.
In what world is Messi more marketable than Ronaldo
— H ⚽🔭☠️ (@OrangeMentosSzn) October 18, 2023
LeBron James from the LA Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks complete the top five on this list. Other soccer stars like Lucy Bronze from England, Robert Lewandowski from Poland, Alphonso Davies from Canada, Harry Kane from England, Alexia Putellas from Spain, and Bukayo Saka from England top Cristiano Ronaldo in the list.
Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes’ list after move to Saudi Pro League
It can be argued that the move to Saudi Arabia has impacted the marketability of Ronaldo, however, the Portuguese superstar is still top of the highest paid athlete in 2023. As per Forbes, Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete in the world after his recording breaking contract with Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr on a two-year deal after leaving Manchester United at the end of 2022. The earnings of the Portuguese went up to $136 million with $90 million coming from on-field performances whereas, $46 million is from brands and endorsements.
Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes’ highest-paid footballers list for 2023 and it’s not even close 💰 pic.twitter.com/2O9fLGRNcd
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) October 14, 2023
Ronaldo’s current contract is estimated to be around $220 million, and it is speculated that he might renew with the club for two more years, which might help him retain his position next year.
Meanwhile, former PSG teammates, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe came in second and third respectively. Messi brought in $130 million whereas, Mbappe figures were $120 million. It is noteworthy that Mbappe is the youngest on the list at 24 years of age. He also brings in more from his on-field exploits ($100 million) than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
With a dream move to Real Madrid on the horizon for Mbappe. The French superstar might top this list of highest-paid athletes sooner rather than later.