Messi, Ronaldo and James surpassed by a surprising name in the top of the most salable athletes
- Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James were defeated by the American gymnast Simone Biles in the competition for the 1st place on the list of the most marketable athletes in the world.
- The Olympic symbol Biles leads the ranking prepared by SportsPro, with Vinicius Jr. being the best ranked footballer.
Messi, Ronaldo and James surpassed by a surprising name in the top of the most salable athletes
Biles recently won her seventh Olympic gold medal at the Paris Olympics and is one of two gymnasts in the top 10, along with Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade.
Her compatriot Vinicius Junior is the highest-ranked soccer player, coming in second, just ahead of NBA icon James.
Women’s basketball sensation Caitlin Clark is fourth, and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is fifth. Portuguese superstar Ronaldo only manages to reach ninth place, and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, American rugby player Ilona Maher and swimmer Katie Ledecky complete the top 10.
Other stars from the world of football who entered the top 50 are Neymar, the best Brazilian scorer of all time (17th place), Jude Bellingham, the midfielder of Real Madrid and England (19th place), Beth Mead, the star of the England women’s national team (24th place), England men’s national team captain Harry Kane (30th place), Euro 2022 winner Lucy Bronze (39th place), Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford (40th place), Nigerian international Victor Osimhen (44th place) and Manchester City’s top scorer Erling Haaland (45th place).
The ranking of the most marketable athletes was compiled by SportsPro in conjunction with consulting firm NorthStar Solutions Group and takes into account brand strength, total accessible market and economics.
SportsPro editorial director Michael Long said: “Our list is an annual benchmark that provides a fascinating insight into how the planet’s top sports stars develop their personal brands and business interests each year.”
“As always, the 2024 roster is a mix of household names and ground-breaking stars who have captivated audiences on the field of play, while using their platforms to deliver value to business partners and raise public awareness of important social causes.”
“For rights holders, agents and brands – and anyone with an interest in sports marketing – there is no better benchmark to objectively measure the true commercial value of athletes globally.”
While Messi and Ronaldo’s status may be waning in the eyes of some advertisers, their global appeal remains unquestioned, with both having a level of celebrity that transcends their chosen profession.
They continue to occupy leading positions on the Forbes lists of football and sports earnings in general.
Source: www.mediafax.ro
