Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list of biggest names in sports again
By Ben Sundock
Today, ESPN released their third annual World Fame 100. Topping the list of 100 famous athletes from every sport around the world was none other than Real Madrid goal scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo.
We Madridistas call him the GOAT and clearly, the world agrees. Using an elaborate algorithm combining the amounts of times his name was searched, his total earnings through endorsement deals, and his overall social media following, the ESPN Sports Analytics Group determined that Cristiano Ronaldo was the biggest name in sports by a margin.
The Portuguese star beat out the likes of Lebron James, rival Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Roger Federer. Since this list was first released in May 2016, Cristiano has finished first everytime, with Lebron and Messi finishing second and third respectively.
Ronaldo has by far the largest social media following of any athlete in the world, totaling a stunning 121.7 million followers across all platforms. This number is just over 30 million larger than Neymar’s – who ranks second in social media following – and 40 million larger than Messi’s following.
Thanks to his huge social following, endorsements are incredibly easy to come by. According to statistics from Forbes, CR7 makes about $40 million a year solely from sponsorships.
What helped propel Cristiano to the top of this list once again was his performance all of last season, leading Los Blancos to their first La Liga title since 2012 and their second consecutive Champions League title.
To cap off what was another historic calendar year for the Dark Invader, number 7 received his fifth Ballon d’Or, drawing level with Lionel Messi for most in the history of the award.
You have to think that after three years atop the chart, he is again a favorite to finish first for next May’s rankings. Also included on the World Fame 100 are three current and two former Real Madrid players.
The three current players to make the list are Gareth Bale at number 19, Karim Benzema at 45, and Toni Kroos at 91. The two former Real players to make the cut are Colombian midfielder, James Rodriguez in 23rd, and striker Álvaro Morata in 93rd.
Cristiano gave a fantastic quote that was included in the short description on why he was placed where he was.
"He said, “There are people out there who hate me and who say I’m arrogant, vain and whatever. That’s all part of my success. I am made to be the best.”"
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After a slow start to the 2017/2018 campaign, Cristiano has been rapidly returning to form and even finished the league campaign out with 10 goals in 10 appearances.
One thing is for sure, and this list only reaffirms it, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest football players ever and is one of the biggest names to ever play a sport in the world.
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