Sponsorship: Cristiano Ronaldo, footballer who generates the most revenue, ahead of Messi and Neymar

Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed for Manchester United FC (Premier League) on 27/08/2021, generated $120m (€100.8m) in revenue in 2020-21, according to the annual rankings of US business magazine Forbes published on 04/06/2021. The Portuguese star, who played for the Red Devils from 2003-2009, earned $70m (€58.8m) in wages and $50m (€42m) in sponsorship revenue during the 2020-21 season.

Cristiano Ronaldo (36) is the footballer that earns the most sponsorship revenue, ahead of Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1 Uber Eats) players Lionel Messi ($33m, €27.7m) and Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior ($19m, €16m).

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first athlete to reach 500 million cumulative followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in February 2021 (579.1 million as of 30/08/2021). The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is an ambassador for numerous international brands, including Nike ($30m/€24.4m per season), DAZN (OTT platform), Herbalife (nutrition) and Altice Europe (telecommunications). Manchester United and the captain of Portugal do not currently have any sponsors in common.

During Cristiano Ronaldo's…