Cristiano Ronaldo is the most marketable sports star on the planet. He has more than 150 million followers across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook – more than any other athlete. The Real Madrid forward is also one of Nike’s highest-paid endorsers and has a lucrative deal with the brand that could be worth US$1 billion over 10 years.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s professional career
CR7 as his fans love to call him is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for the Spanish club Real Madrid and the Portugal national team. He is widely considered to be one of the best players in the world, having won five Ballon d’Or awards, three UEFA Champions League titles, and one FIFA Ballon d’Or.
He has scored over 450 goals in his career, making him one of the most prolific scorers in La Liga history; he is also tied with Lionel Messi for second place behind Luis Suarez when it comes to scoring the most league goals over their careers (57).
Ronaldo began playing football at local side CR Ferreira’s youth academy where he was spotted by scouts from Sporting CP at age 12. After four years at Sporting CP’s youth academy, Ronaldo left for Manchester United after being selected by Ferguson during some trials with other clubs due to his impressive performances on trial.
After six years with Manchester United, he left for Real Madrid for a then world-record transfer fee of £80 million. At Real Madrid, Ronaldo has won three UEFA Champions League titles and two FIFA Club World Cup trophies among other domestic and individual accolades.
Off the field, he became one of the most prominent athletes on social media; he is ranked in the top 10 broadly followed sportspeople on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter respectively.
Most followed athlete on social media
Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed athlete on social media. He has more than 150 million followers across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook – more than any other athlete.
Ronaldo’s Instagram account is the most followed sports Instagram account and has over 526 million followers. His Facebook page also has more than 158 million likes, making it the third most popular page on the platform.
The footballer has also been named the most influential athlete on social media by SportsPro. Ronaldo first joined Instagram in March 2015, and his account now has more than 526 million followers.
Contract with Nike was worth a staggering US$1 billion
Ronaldo’s contract renewal with Nike was worth a staggering US$1 billion. This is the most lucrative in the company’s history, and it shows how much CR7 has become a brand ambassador for Nike and not just another footballer.
Since 2003, Ronaldo has been sponsored by Nike as he represents their iconic sportswear brand. He joined the company as they were searching for someone who could help increase their sales in Brazil as well as other parts of Latin America where soccer is popularized by Brazilians (like Uruguay).
In recent years, Ronaldo has become such an important part of both Nike’s marketing strategy and social media presence that Kevin Durant even said “he should have his line at Nike.”
According to Forbes, Ronaldo makes US$47 million annually from his Nike contract. This number is expected to increase as he becomes an older player and will likely not retire anytime soon. Nike has also released several collections of shoes and apparel that are exclusively designed by Ronaldo himself.
In 2016, Nike announced a lifetime partnership with Ronaldo worth US$1 billion, which makes him the highest-paid athlete in the world signing a deal
He used to earn US$40 million a year from sponsorship deals when he was playing for Real Madrid.
Ronaldo used to earn US$40 million a year from sponsorship deals when he was playing for Real Madrid, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world at that time.
His contract with Nike was worth a staggering US$1 billion and he also had lucrative deals with Audi, Samsung, and others.
His move to Juventus last summer triggered an immediate spike in sales of his team’s kit
Ronaldo’s move to Juventus last summer triggered an immediate spike in sales of his team’s kit. Sales jumped more than 300 percent compared to the same period during the previous season.
This was no surprise considering that Ronaldo is considered one of the most marketable players ever and has been since he first debuted for Manchester United at age 16.
His presence on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram has also helped generate buzz around him specifically as well as other players who play similar positions (such as Kylian Mbappe).
Ronaldo has moved to Al-Nassr FC to play in the Saudi pro league for 2 and half seasons for 200 million euros
Cristiano Ronaldo has moved to Al-Nassr FC to play in the Saudi pro league for two and half seasons for 200 million euros.
The 37-year-old football player is going to play in a new football team Al-Nassr FC which is one of the most successful clubs in Saudi Arabia, having won the Saudi Professional League nine times, the King’s Cup six times, three Crown Prince’s Cups, and two Saudi Super Cups. The club is currently managed by Ronaldo’s citizen Pedro Emanuel.
The former Real Madrid star will be earning more than 1 million euros per month. This is the highest salary ever paid to any footballer. Al-Nassr FC Instagram account has increased from 860K to 7.4M followers in just four days after the announcement.
Al-Nassr has achieved an incredible feat on the club’s Instagram page, garnering an astonishing 16 million likes and 1 million comments on a single post featuring a picture of the player holding the iconic No. 7 shirt alongside the club’s president.
This is a testament to Ronaldo’s immense popularity and the admiration he has earned from fans around the world.
Fans flocked to Al-Nassr’s megastore on Friday night, hours before the official announcement of the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo. The anticipation was palpable as fans eagerly purchased the brand new number seven shirt, representing a significant rise in the sales of the club’s t-shirts.
Ambassador for the Saudi campaign to have the world cup
The Saudi file is a world cup that has been organized by Saudi Arabia. The country will be hosting the event in 2023, and it will be the first time that they have hosted such an event. They want to make sure that their team does well in this tournament, so they have chosen Cristiano Ronaldo as their ambassador for this campaign.
Ronaldo is one of the biggest names in football today. He has also been featured in many adverts over recent years – some even featuring him playing football with other famous players from around Europe (like Lionel Messi).
This means that there are lots of people who would love nothing more than for Ronaldo himself to promote this campaign via social media channels; after all, what better way could there be?
Cristiano Ronaldo is the most marketable sports star on the planet.
Most marketable sports brand on the planet
Cristiano Ronaldo is the most marketable sports star on the planet. He has a huge following on social media and in his own country, but his global appeal is also evident.
As one of the most famous athletes in the world and one of the most marketable sports stars on Earth (and perhaps even beyond), Ronaldo has a unique ability to bring people together through shared passion or interest.
Conclusion
I hope that this article has given you a better understanding of how Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence impacts marketing and social media. He is an incredible footballer and a great role model, but he also serves as an example of the power of social media in today’s world. As we have seen with other athletes and entertainers who have used their brands effectively on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat – their influence can be felt by millions of people around the world every day.