Why Lionel Messi is more marketable than Cristiano Ronaldo

SportsPro’s annual list of the world’s 50 Most Marketable Athletes tends to provide plenty of subplots, including how one star has outranked another in the same sport. But a closer look at the data highlights why certain names have bested their contemporaries.

The subjectivity of marketability can contrast sharply with the finality of sport, where the end result is almost always conclusive.

This year’s list of the world’s 50 Most Marketable Athletes (50MM) will likely divide opinion, as it has done in the previous 14 editions, no matter what the final lineup looked like.

Yet the process by which the list is generated undoubtedly stands up to scrutiny.

The 2024 ranking, produced in partnership with NorthStar Solutions Group, featured an enhanced methodology and multi-faceted evaluation model to deliver the most comprehensive assessment of athlete marketability to date.

Despite all the data and extensive research, 50MM always throws up lots of questions and ample debate.

With that in mind, SportsPro sifts through the findings from the 2024 standings and analyses why certain athletes have outperformed their counterparts.

LeBron James was the only basketball player to rank higher than Caitlin Clark in this year’s 50MM list (Image credit: Getty Images)

Messi outscores Ronaldo

The rivalry between two of soccer’s GOATs has rumbled on for well over a decade, with the discussion over who really is the superior player veering from informative to tiresome.

While it may be more diplomatic to ask ‘can’t we just enjoy them both?’, the data that feeds the 50MM evaluation model helps explain why Lionel Messi, in fifth, ranked above ninth-placed Cristiano Ronaldo.

In terms of ‘social ROI’, one of the model’s 16 composite drivers, Messi scored 46.38 out of 50, which was the 12th highest among athletes in the top 50 and boosted by the Argentine’s engagement with social causes, educational access programmes and philanthropy.

In contrast, Ronaldo scored 40.79 for social ROI, which put the 39-year-old 29th for that particular metric. While the total reflected a strong focus from Ronaldo on educational access programmes, the Portuguese lacks the diversity of social impact seen in Messi’s engagement.

Messi also outscored Ronaldo in ‘authenticity’, another of the drivers, scoring 32 out of 50 compared to his rival’s 27.33.

According to the data, Ronaldo’s engagement on topics such as discussing personal wins, relationships with friends and family, and fan gratitude is less frequent and in-depth when weighed up against Messi, resulting in a lower perceived authenticity.

Notably, neither performed particularly well in terms of authenticity compared to other athletes, with the pair dropping out of the top 50 entirely for this specific driver.

However, another soccer player did finish top here – Spain’s 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati.

Gauff aces Djokovic

Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic may be at very different stages of their careers, but the Serb’s record haul of Grand Slams isn’t enough to propel him above the American in the 50MM ranking.

Gauff, who placed 13th overall, is notably open about her off-court activities, interests, personal wins, family, friends, fan gratitude and personal challenges, which make her highly relatable and have powered her to an authenticity score of 49.33 – the third highest of any athlete.

In comparison Djokovic, who ranked 18th overall, earned an authenticity score of 42.33, indicating that while he discusses many of the same topics as Gauff, he is less open about personal challenges, according to NorthStar, which affects his relatability.

The duo also contrast sharply in the ‘presentation’ driver. Gauff managed a perfect ten out of ten, aided by frontpage appearances on high-profile publications such as Vogue. Djokovic, while sponsored by Lacoste, lacks the same level of visibility in fashion, resulting in a presentation score of five out of ten.

When it comes to social ROI, Gauff’s score of 47.70 puts her in eighth place among all athletes, highlighting her active support for gender equality, mental health and inclusiveness, all of which resonate strongly with fans and sponsors. Djokovic’s score of 41.45 is driven by his philanthropic efforts, but his narrower focus makes his social impact less multifaceted.

Hamilton races ahead of Verstappen

In 11th place, Lewis Hamilton has once again beaten Max Verstappen, who ranked 31st, to the title of most marketable driver in Formula One.

The Brit’s win at Silverstone this year may have been his first Grand Prix victory since December 2021, but the seven-time world champion’s various on-track records since 2007 have carried Hamilton to a 9.07 out of ten for the ‘in-sport performance’ driver.

That compares favourably to Verstappen’s score of 6.42, which acknowledges the reigning world champion’s hattrick of drivers’ titles but also takes into account the magnitude of Hamilton’s career achievements.

Hamilton’s marketability is further bolstered by a larger social media following than his rival. The 39-year-old has a combined following of more than 52.1 million across the tracked platforms compared to Verstappen’s 22.7 million.

Crucially, Hamilton also sees strong engagement among the female demographic, giving him a ‘quality of audience reach’ score of 16.58 out of 20 versus Verstappen’s 13.03.

Lewis Hamilton continues to set the pace as Formula One’s most marketable driver (Image credit: Getty Images)

Additionally, Hamilton has higher engagement rates on Instagram and X. He finishes with an audience engagement total of 14.31 out of 25, while Verstappen’s 12.83 reflects strong growth but less interaction depth.

A champion of change, Hamilton has used his platform to support the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and push for greater diversity in motorsport, which has led to a social ROI of 45.72 to Verstappen’s 30.59. That score puts the 27-year-old down in 60th place.

Clark sees off Curry

Caitlin Clark can add finishing fourth in 50MM 2024 to what has been a stunning year for the Indiana Fever sensation.

The standout in a stellar draft class that entered the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) this season, the 22-year-old’s star quality since joining the pro ranks has helped the league set various viewership and attendance records, with her brand power even prompting the term ‘Clarkonomics’.

It is no surprise that Clark’s rise has earned her a score of 23.85 out of 25 in the ‘athlete trending brand buzz’ driver, which is the second highest among female athletes in the top 50 – bested only by overall number one Simone Biles.

That score has helped take Clark above National Basketball Association (NBA) great Stephen Curry, who comes in at number 20 in the standings. The Golden State Warriors point guard has a healthy athlete trending brand buzz score of 21.22, which is the third highest among NBA players and 24th overall, but the score reflects a more stable presence with less recent buzz.

Indeed, Clark outperforms Curry even more comprehensively on audience engagement. According to NorthStar, she has one of the highest engagement rates on Instagram at 19.03 per cent and a staggering follower growth of 215.52 per cent, putting her eighth for this driver alone with a tally of 23.85. Curry, meanwhile, plummets to 131st for this metric due to a lowly 3.62 out of 25, which can be attributed to a far smaller Instagram engagement rate of 0.76 per cent and slower growth of 1.5 per cent.

While Curry clearly has a well-established fanbase, Clark’s rapid growth and strong engagement make her incredibly appealing, especially to sponsors.