Lionel Messi has surpassed the basketball icon LeBron James as the most marketable athlete in the world.
The latest ranking of Sports Pro, 50 Most Marketable by Goal, a popular sports ranking platform, ranked Lionel Messi on top.
This comes after Messi entered the Major League Soccer last year after turning down Saudi Arabia’s multi-million offer, which gained him popularity and strengthened his brand.
“It’s an interesting dynamic to see Messi in America. A match made in marketing heaven.” Sports Pro’s editorial director Michael Long said, on the Football Co. podcast.
Messi leads the ranking list of the 50 Most Marketable Celebrities across different sports. The list ranked 22 footballers. Other footballers on the list were LeBron James, Alex Morgan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Megan Rapinoe.
Christiano Ronaldo was ranked 27th most marketable footballer, from 20th place last year. Observers say his signing of the Saudi Arabian deal lowered his chances on the market after he lost contracts with big companies such as Hennessy.
Messi has not only gained popularity on the field but also through his philanthropy initiatives through the Leo Messi Foundation and his partnership with UNICEF. Both initiatives have attracted numerous partnership deals for Messi.
Lionel Messi, 36, whose football talent, and quiet and calm nature have garnered him a heavy global following, is yet to comment on his first milestone of the year.
