Ronaldo VS Messi ! Rivalry is not just limited to the football field.

Both Ronaldo and Messi are no doubt great players on the field. If you see their stats, it is very hard to say who is better.  Both of them will go down in the history among the greatest players of all time. Stats won’t tell you the whole story, you need to consider other factors as well such as “endorsements”.

Adidas and Nike rival sports retailers, they’re also represented by association football rivals Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, respectively. The rival players also endorse rival beverage companies Pepsi (Messi) and Coca-Cola (Ronaldo).

As the best players in the league, both Messi and Ronaldo have large followings and can help improve brand awareness. These athletes often make a similar amount from their endorsement contracts than they do on the field. Ronaldo’s Nike deal is worth approximately 8 million euros a year, for example. In addition to sports apparel and beverages, the rivals also represent airlines, designer clothing brands, video game companies, communications providers, watch makers, and more.

Neither player has represented the same company at the same time nor have they often been pitted against each other. While Electronic Art’s FIFA series often showcases Messi on the cover, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer is likely to have Ronaldo as their star player. When fans choose between games to buy, their favorite player could definitely have an impact.

While the connection to clothing or air travel may be less direct, the brands clearly see a value in having one of the rivals in be a spokesperson for the brand. Messi and Ronaldo certainly aren’t complaining either; Messi is worth 200 million euros including endorsements and Ronaldo is at 210 million. Have you ever bought a product because your favorite player was in an advertisement for it? Tell us why you did or didn’t in the comments.

 

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