The remarkable interaction of one million people with the stars’ digital posts raised an alarm bell for FIFA. Famous images, such as Messi holding the 2022 World Cup or his joint photo with Ronaldo for the “Louis Vuitton” brand, revealed the ability of players to transform personal platforms into independent media entities and tremendous negotiating power with major companies outside the confines of the stadium and traditional screens.
According to specialized economic reports, the four big stars (Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe) account for about 37% of the total accounts on social media platforms globally. This digital influence is reflected in their huge revenues outside the green rectangle from sponsorship deals and image rights, as Messi earns about $70 million annually, followed by Ronaldo with $65 million, and Mbappe, Haaland, and Salah with amounts ranging between $20 and $30 million.
On the other hand, despite FIFA’s expectations of achieving record revenues of up to $13 billion in the cycle extending between 2023 and 2026 (benefiting from increasing the number of teams to 48 and doubling the number of matches), the marketing center of gravity began to gradually shift, after players and influencers imposed themselves as major parties sharing the investment returns of the most prominent sporting event in the world.
