After the 2022 World Cup final, perhaps the debate about the greatest player of all time (GOAT: Greatest of All Time) between Ronaldo and Messi has also ended. Messi won all the glory that a player can. In contrast, “the dream is over” was Ronaldo’s message after his early elimination in Qatar.
Ronaldo’s chances of winning the World Cup are almost gone as he will be 41 by the time of the next tournament, in the summer of 2026.
When it comes to commercial appeal and status as a global brand, Ronaldo – the most followed person in the world on Instagram – has long held the absolute upper hand.
After the 2022 World Cup final, perhaps the debate about the greatest player of all time (GOAT: Greatest of All Time) between Ronaldo and Messi has also ended. Photo: The Ringer.
A somewhat extroverted personality, model-like appearance and standard physique, the Portuguese striker always has an advantage over someone who has few sҺocking statements like Messi.
In addition, the Argentine player also did not have the ideal body of an elite athlete with his short stature and shaggy beard.
The emergence of the “Messi brand”
However, after the glory in Qatar, the balance of trade has sᴜddenly tilted in favor of the 35-year-old, who relies heavily on his father Jorge and brother Rodrigo to handle trade deals.
Many brands that work with Lionel Messi have recorded a market value increase of at least £42 bιllion ( $51 bιllion ) during the 2022 World Cup, as reported by Barca Universal – a major independent TV channel. of FC Barcelona.
Some of the companies whose market capitalization increased during the biggest soccer tournament on the planet include Budweiser (up 7.51%), Louis Vuitton (6.56%), Mastercard (3.87%) , Activision (3.81%) and Pepsi (1.11%), according to the report.
Many brands that cooperate with Lionel Messi have recorded an increase in market value of at least 42 bιllion pounds (equivalent to 51 bιllion USD ) during the 2022 World Cup. Photo: AP.
Meanwhile, Messi’s post to celebrate the 2022 World Cup victory set a record as the post with the most likes on all social networking sites. The World Cup effect helps Messi surpass Ronaldo on social networks, where it seems that the Portuguese superstar is “invulnerable”.
After just one day of posting, Messi’s post reached more than 56 million likes, surpassing the egg post with 55.7 million likes. The photo then hιt 71 million likes, becoming the most liked post in the history of the Instagram platform.
While many other top players will hire agents or large agencies, Messi chooses to maintain his relationships on a small scale, with people he truly trusts.
According to The Athletic , based on expert opinions and analysis of social network data, “the Messi brand” has ҽxploded since the magical night at Lusail Stadium.
The picture of Messi lifting the trophy reached 71 million likes, becoming the most liked post in the history of the Instagram platform. Photo: @leomessi.
“What Messi has done makes him different from Ronaldo. He won the World Cup and was also the brightest star in the World Cup final that everyone recognized as the best of all time. That gives Messi immortality. Most people have to agree that Messi has reached a level far beyond Ronaldo,” said Tim Crow, a sports marketing expert.
The charm of the Ronaldo brand
Many people might disagree in terms of football that Messi has surpassed Ronaldo. Meanwhile, in the commercial aspect, Ronaldo actually still holds many outstanding advantages, even if his expertise is somewhat declining.
While Messi is busy benefiting from commercial contracts, Ronaldo is no less competitive in terms of money. After the noisy parting with MU, CR7 chose to join Al Nassr with a contract worth more than 200 million USD per year, a record in world football history.
“Ronaldo has positioned himself in important territories. He has conquered the Asian market and has a lot of followers from the subcontinent,” said Adrian Wright, Sporting Group director and formerly West Bromwich Albion marketing director.
After the noisy parting with MU, CR7 chose to join Al Nassr with a contract worth more than 200 million USD per year, a record in world football history. Photo: AP.
That means CR7 is famous not only in the countries where he plays, but also in the places where the tournament is shown on TV.
Although Messi’s role at Barcelona has made him a global superstar, the reality is that the M10 hasn’t been featured on television as much as Ronaldo over the past two seasons.
Messi’s appeal has somewhat waned since the summer of 2021 when he moved to play for PSG in Ligue 1, which does not have a terrible global coverage like the Premier League.
Also, one aspect where Ronaldo definitely outperforms Messi is the social media audience. The name CR7 is not only the most followed person as a player, athlete, but also the number one in the world.
Ronaldo has 529 million followers on Instagram compared to second place Messi with 415 million fans. The remaining names in the chart can be mentioned as US reality TV star Kylie Jenner, actress and singer Selena Gomez and wrestler and actress Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Playability isn’t all it takes to build a global brand. For companies and consumers, they want a player with distinctive personalities.
Ronaldo has 529 million followers on Instagram compared to second place Messi with 415 million fans. Photo: Daily Mail.
“Messi conquered the Spanish-speaking world. But with the rest of the English-speaking world, I think most people would say that they don’t really know him well as a human being and not as a footballer,” Crow said. .
It’s somewhat unusual for a global celebrity that Messi doesn’t speak English. Meanwhile, Ronaldo thanks to more than 7 years playing at Manchester United has helped him become fluent in the common language of the commercial world.
New competition
After years of fierce competition on the pitch, it is clear that both Messi and Ronaldo are reaching new heights of commercial power thanks to the reputations they have built up from football.
Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sports Economics and Geopolitics at SKEMA University in Paris (France) uses the term “revenue harvesting” to describe how Messi and Ronaldo are constantly promoting new products in the context of the current crisis. Their careers are coming to an end.
“For the average person, you’re looking at a future where wages increase through a lifetime of work. But for any football player, the salary will not increase anymore but decrease. Ronaldo saw and reaped the revenue long before Messi started,” Chadwick said, adding that both are chasing “one last day of pay”.
After years of fierce competition on the pitch, it is clear that both Messi and Ronaldo are reaching new heights of commercial power thanks to the reputations that have been built up from football. Photo: GQ.
When Ronaldo’s record transfer from MU to Real Madrid was confirmed in the summer of 2009, the Portuguese was partying in Los Angeles with actress Paris Hilton, one of the most famous people in the world. crystallized at that time.
Since then, there have been rumors that the whole thing was set up for marketing purposes. Meanwhile, Messi always keeps the image of a man who cares about his family when he regularly posts pictures taken with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and three young sons Thiago, Mateo, Ciro.
“Messi’s plan is a long and slow trajectory. However, Ronaldo reached a peak when he realized that you can’t stay young and glamorous forever and the nature of the brand needs to change,” Professor Chadwick said.
Ronaldo’s acumen when building an image can be mentioned that in recent years, Ronaldo has abandoned the image of a super-manly hand who always takes off his shirt after scoring an important goal to rҽveal his toned physique.
Instead, CR7 tries to build a more family man image with posts about partner Georgina Rodriguez and children.
No longer the image of a playboy, in recent years Ronaldo has tried to build the image of a family man more with posts about his partner Georgina Rodriguez and their children. Photo: Instagram.
Professor Chadwick cites Ronaldo’s predecessor at MU and Real Madrid, David Beckham, as an example of how the soccer star has aged “gracefully”, in the sense of a commercial brand position.
“At one point Beckham appeared in Armani shorts. But five or 10 years later, he got an advertising contract with Marks & Spencer, the UK department store chain,” Chadwick said, highlighting Beckham’s transition from a “glamorous” luxury brand. charm” to a brand associated with the middle class.
Whatever plans Messi and Ronaldo and those around them have for the future, one thing is very clear to these two superstars after the end of their illustrious careers: When it comes to making money, no There is no better time than now.