Endorsement earning this year have been phenomenal.
Unfortunately, most African footballers do not benefit much from this revenue source
that contribute majorly to the wealth of
top athletes..
Truly, the
marketability of African players has been a challenge in the global football
market. Only Yaya Toure of Cote d’Ivoire
made this list of top 15 highest paid footballer endorsers for this year.
Projected 2015
endorsement earnings per Forbes World’s Highest Paid Athletes. Earnings
projections are subject to change and will updated as new endorsement
details are discovered.
1.
Cristiano Ronaldo | La Liga | Real Madrid
Yearly Endorsement
Earnings: $27,000,000
Notable Endorsement Deals: CR7 |
Nike | Clear | Herbalife | Samsung | Konami
Cristiano Ronaldo has won three
consecutive awards as the best player in the world, plays for one of the most
valuable franchises in sports, and enjoys massive endorsement deals from
Nike and Tag Heuer, among others. He even has his own underwear and shirt line,
CR7. Of course he does.
2. Lionel Messi | La Liga | Futbol Club Barcelona
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $22,000,000
Notable Endorsement Deals: Adidas | EA Sports | Gillette | Head & Shoulders | PepsiCo
The four-time FIFA player of the year may be the only player on the planet who can compete with Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of talent and skill. Messi’s quickness and creativity has spawned an array of endorsement opportunities throughout the years, including Turkish Airline’s Kobe vs. Messi: The Selfie Shootout; YouTube’s Ad of the Decade. While the Argentine star is known as a humble, private, almost anti-pitchman, his lack of self-promotion hasn’t deterred brands including Samsung and Adidas to shape campaigns around his on-field ability.
3. Neymar | La Liga | Futbol Club Barcelona
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $17,000,000
Notable Endorsement Deals: Castrol | Konami | Nike | Red Bull | Volkswagen
Neymar is the heir apparent to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s greatest footballer At just 23 years old, Neymar’s endorsement earnings already outweigh that of his contract from Barcelona. In 2012 and 2013, SportsPro named Neymar the World’s Most Marketable Athlete due to his age, promise, charisma, and home country of Brazil. In Brazil, Neymar is expected to fill the shoes of Pele, the Brazilian legend. The Brazilian national team suffered a disastrous loss in their at-home World Cup in 2014 while Neymar was sidelined with injury. Expectations may rise along with Neymar’s marketability as the 2018 FIFA World Cup nears.
4. Gareth Bale | La Liga | Real Madrid
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $9,500,000
Notable Endorsement Deals: Adidas | BT Sport | Lucozade Sport
At just 26 years old, the Real Madrid winger is one of Adidas’ prized athlete endorsers. While rumors abound that Bale may be heading back to his home country of England to play for Manchester United, his future and as a successful athlete pitchman appears to be cemented. In early 2015, Bale and fellow footballers teamed up for Adidas to acknowledge their haters.
5. Wayne Rooney | Premier League | Manchester United
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $7,000,000
According to Forbes, Rooney’s current deal with Manchester United allows the club to negotiate endorsement deals on his behalf. That certainly isn’t stopping the captain from endorsement success. Rooney enjoys endorsement deals from two blue chip brands: Nike and Samsung.
6. Sergio Aguero | Premier League | Manchester City
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $7,000,000
Aguero boasts endorsement deals from several blue chip brand, and recently released his autobiography. At 27, the Manchester City striker appears poised to climb the list of the highest paid footballers.
7. Mesut Ozil | Premier League | Arsenal
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $6,500,000
The 26-year-old Arsenal star and German Footballer Ambassador is a recognized humanitarian and German national team star. With almost 10 million Twitter followers and over 28 million Facebook fans, Ozil certainly has the influence to expand his endorsement footprint.
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Ligue 1 | Paris Saint-Germain
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $6,000,000
Standing six and a half feet tall, this Swede is typically the tallest player on the pitch during each game. In 2013, Zlatan won the FIFA Puskas Award for “Goal of the Year” after completing an insane bicycle kick during a game against England. Ibrahimovic recently chose to switch from Nike to Adidas, signing an endorsement deal with Adidas after multiple years with the endorsement juggernaut.
9. Cesc Fabregas | Premier League | Chelsea
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $5,000,000
The 28 year old Spaniard plays in the Premier League for Chelsea as well as the Spain national team. Fabregas teamed up with Beats to demonstrate how their headphones allow you to Hear What You Want and can block out all of the distractions surrounding the soccer superstar. He has also partnered with Puma to showcase the power and accuracy of their new evoPOWER cleats.
10. James Rodriguez | La Liga | Real Madrid
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $4,500,000
Last year Rodriguez joined Real Madrid and teamed up with worldwide icon Cristiano Ronaldo. At only 24 years old, Rodriguez is considered one of the best young players in the world. Following his move to Real Madrid, Rodriguez signed an endorsement deal with Gatorade and an extension with Adidas.
11. Luis Suarez | La Liga | Futbol Club Barcelona
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $4,500,000
Although Suarez may have come to mainstream American fame for biting other players, he is considered one of the best footballers in the world. In 2014, Suarez signed with Barcelona and plays alongside another phenom, Lionel Messi. Suarez showed off his inner rock star when he teamed up with Pepsi last year. He also boasts endorsement deals from Beats by Dre and Adidas.
12. Radamel Falcao | Premier League | Chelsea
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $4,000,000
Simply known as Falcao, he is currently on loan to Chelsea for the next three years. The Columbian striker scored five goals in a game against Deportivo de La Coruna in 2012 and is widely considered one of the best strikers in the game. Falcao endorses Gatorade and Puma among others.
13. Frank Lampard | MLS | New York City FC
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $4,000,000
Lampard is considered to be one of the best midfielders of all time. He was a Vice-Captain for Chelsea and was the club’s all time leading goalscorer during his 13-year career. Lampard was also second in assists in Premier League history and led Chelsea to three Premier League titles. After being released by Chelsea in 2013, Lampard signed on with New York FC of the MLS. He has endorsements with Adidas and Pepsi.
14. Eden Hazard | Premier League | Chelsea
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $3,500,000
Chelsea’s Eden Hazard has the potential to be one of the best footballers the world has to offer according to his former coach. The 24 year old star will only get better over the next few years.
15. Yaya Toure | Premier League | Manchester City
Yearly Endorsement Earnings: $3,000,000
The Ivory Coast midfielder won consecutive African Footballer of the Year awards in 2011 and 2012. In the 2011-12 season, his dominant midfield play helped Manchester City win their first Premier League title since 1967-68. His Puma endorsement includes an agreement to distribute gear to underprivileged children in Africa. Yaya Toure also helps make the Ivory Coast one of the most fun teams to dominate with on FIFA.
