Why Cristiano Ronaldo one of the Most Popular Athletes on the Planet?

Football (or soccer as it’s known in the United States) is the world’s most popular sport. More than 2 billion people worldwide watched at least part of the most recent World Cup contests, so any athlete is a star soccer player is likely to be well-known across the globe.

But there are those soccer players who become more than just a well-known public figure – they are truly stars. From Pele to David Beckham, each generation seems to create at least one play who transcends even the amazing popularity of the soccer world.

Cristiano Ronaldo is likely the best known soccer player in the world. And part of that is due to the way that he has dominated the sport. He’s been voted FIFA’s player of the year three times, has scored at least sixty times in each of the last four years. He’s helped increase the value of his team of Real Madrid to more $3 billion dollars. If you’re betting on soccer, it’s probably wise not to bet against Ronaldo.

But Ronaldo is also an endorsement machine. Sure, he makes an estimated $50 million annually in salary and bonuses. But he reportedly makes even more each year thanks to a staggering number of endorsements ranging from Nike to Herbalife. It’s not just his skills on the field that make him so popular with advertisers. Ronaldo is wildly popular on social media, with more than 15 million social media followers. A tweet or Facebook message from Ronaldo has value and companies are happy to pay to get access to his followers.

And let’s not forget that Ronaldo is a pretty good looking guy. His posters and other photos sell more worldwide than any other athlete and he draws a substantial number of women to his games. There’s something sexy about a good-looking guy who is also a great athlete and Ronaldo is the perfect example of that. The fact that he has already has a sexy supermodel girlfriend just makes him even more attractive to female fans.

Then there is the rise of online gambling worldwide. If you’re betting on football (or soccer if you’re outside the United States), you’re likely to find yourself betting on games played by Ronaldo. Whether you’re betting for Ronaldo and Real Madrid to win (which is the odd-on favorite) or gambling they might lose, it’s nearly impossible to bet on the sport’s most popular games without betting on Ronaldo.

The thing about Ronaldo is that even when he and Real Madrid lose, it’s an entertaining and suspenseful game. His amazing play makes even losing money seem like fun and somehow he manages to continue to improve his gameplay every season. Real Madrid and Ronaldo are going to be talked about at the office on Monday and that’s because he is more than a great player. He’s a cultural phenomenon and those don’t come around very often. Years from now, soccer fans will tell tales of that amazing play they saw from Ronaldo and that’s ultimately the reason he is so popular. Ronaldo is a player for the ages and everyone wants to be in on that history making event.