Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Where do the superstars rank in SportsPro list of world’s most marketable athletes?

SportsPro has ranked the 50 most marketable athletes in the world, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi making the top five.

The iconic duo have long been two of the most successful athletes both on and off the pitch and are huge assets from a marketing standpoint.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been ranked as the most marketable athlete in the world with a score of 91.21.

The Manchester United forward holds a brand strength of 11.21 out of 20, with an audience reach of a perfect 50/50.

Ronaldo also boasts a score of 30 out of 30 economically, and it comes as no surprise due to the huge number of brand and sponsorship deals the Portuguese holds.

Despite a difficult start to the season where the striker has managed just two goals in 12 appearances across competitions, it is clear he is still a marketing monster.

His longtime footballing rival Lionel Messi comes in at fifth place, with a score of 53.27.

The Paris Saint-Germain attacker has a brand strength of 7.56 out of 20 which is some way off his rival Ronaldo.

Messi has an audience reach of 34.12 out of 50 and a score of 11.59 out of 30 through economics.

The legendary duo are joined by women's tennis player Serena Williams, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and basketball player LeBron James in the top five.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's moves to both United and PSG may have impacted their marketing reach.

Both have jumped up places from last year's rankings, with Ronaldo moving from sixth place to first. Meanwhile, Messi has jumped from 12th to fifth.

The Argentine has had the most success out of the pair on the pitch so far this season, with eight goals and as many assists in 14 appearances.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi miss out on top 10 of Ballon d'Or

Messi failed to make the final cut for the 2022 Ballon d'Or

Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi missed out on the top 10 of the Ballon d'Or this year.

The United forward did manage to make the top 20, finishing in 20th place while the PSG attacker didn't even make the final list of nominees.

Ronaldo managed 24 goals in 38 appearances for the Red Devils last season following his remarkable return to Old Trafford.

He was a standout performer in a disappointing season for United, who only managed a sixth-placed finish in the league.

Meanwhile, Messi managed 11 goals and 15 assists in 34 appearances in his debut campaign at the Parc des Princes.