Who is the world’s most popular football player? The answer is not Lionel Messi.
According to Brandtix, which reviews the biggest footballer brands annually, Barcelona star Lionel Messi is not the world’s most popular player. In fact, Messi has been overtaken by fellow teammate Neymar Jr and rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
The study, analysing both on- and off-pitch performances, also included players’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts to reveal the top 20 player brands across the field of football.
However, the surprising results baffled everyone in the footballing world as Argentine Lionel Messi, who recently claimed his record fifth Ballon d’Or award, failed to top the charts. Not only was the 28-year-old beaten by Cristiano Ronaldo, which would have been understandable given the long-term rivalry between the two, but even Neymar Jr defeated the Argentine to claim the second spot.
The list of top five players in Brandtix’s study include:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
The Real Madrid forward is the most popular player, and is followed by 211.7 million fans across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
That’s more followers than his club.
2. Neymar Jr
Brazil’s 2014 World Cup hero defeated his Barcelona teammate, Messi, to attain the second spot after another excellent year with the club.
3. Lionel Messi
Despite winning his record fifth Ballon d’Or in January, the Argentine’s brand image lags slightly behind the top two.
4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Perhaps it is true that how you value yourself matters more. For someone as arrogant as Ibra who said ‘a World Cup without me is not worth watching’, the Swede is now a Paris Saint-Germain legend with just four years at the club.
5. Luis Suarez
The Uruguayan striker, who is more infamous than famous for his notorious ‘hand of devil’ trick and biting of opponents, claimed number five spot on Brandtix’s list of valuable players after another successful year with Barcelona. Luis Suarez scored 53 goals in 47 games for Barcelona this season, more than Lionel Messi or Neymar. The former Liverpool man had a 20% bump in following on social media in the final weeks of the season.
England’s Wayne Rooney scored the 12th spot on the list while Spain’s Gerard Pique was ranked in the 14th spot.
Other players on the list in order of popularity include Mesut Özil, James Rodríguez, Andrés Iniesta, Gareth Bale, Iker Casillas, David Luiz, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Piqué, Karim Benzema, Manuel Neuer, Sergio Agüero, Marcelo Vieira, David de Gea, and Cesc Fàbregas.
Courtesy: Goal.com
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