The value of the brand associated with Cristiano Ronaldo has reached around €850 million, according to a study conducted by the Portuguese Institute of Administration and Marketing (IPAM). Despite a slight negative impact from his move to Saudi Arabia, the CR7 brand has seen a 325% increase over the past five years.
Irresistible growth The study, which began in 2011 and was updated after the latest 2020 edition, highlights that Cristiano Ronaldo, who will turn 40 on Wednesday, continues to impress not only on the field but especially off it.
“We started tracking the evolution of the Cristiano Ronaldo brand about 15 years ago. In 2011, its value was estimated at €25 million. Today, as Ronaldo approaches his 40th birthday, our study shows a valuation of about €850 million,” said Daniel Sá, executive director of IPAM, to the Lusa agency.
According to Sá, this figure confirms the global impact and the meteoric rise of the CR7 brand, which remains an international reference.
The Saudi Arabia effect and the new dimensions of the brand The study acknowledges that Ronaldo’s transfer to Al-Nassr, in a less publicized league than the Champions League and major European leagues, had some impact on his brand. However, his exponential salary increase and growing commercial expansion have mitigated this effect.
Today, the Cristiano Ronaldo brand has four main dimensions:
- Ronaldo the footballer: still a leading figure in world football.
- Ronaldo the sponsor: the face of many international brands, with an estimated income of €150 million.
- Ronaldo the influencer: the most followed personality on social media, with over a billion followers and growing impact on YouTube.
- Ronaldo the investor: engaged in various entrepreneurial projects, with plans to buy a club in the near future.
An icon destined to last even after retirement IPAM forecasts that the value of the Cristiano Ronaldo brand will continue to grow even after his retirement from professional football, thanks to his increased involvement in non-sporting activities.
The numbers speak for themselves:
- In 2023, 22 million articles were published about Ronaldo.
- His name was searched more than 190 million times on Google.
- Over 4,000 books on Amazon reference him.
- More than 60,000 scientific articles have been dedicated to the CR7 phenomenon.
“Portugal has never had a brand of this magnitude. Cristiano Ronaldo is the most influential and visible athlete in the history of sport. At the end of his career, his empire will leave a lasting imprint across many sectors”, concluded Daniel Sá.