{"id":5013,"date":"2024-03-14T13:01:23","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T13:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/?p=5013"},"modified":"2024-03-14T13:01:24","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T13:01:24","slug":"messi-surpasses-lebron-as-marketable-athlete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/messi-surpasses-lebron-as-marketable-athlete","title":{"rendered":"Lionel Messi Surpasses LeBron James as Most Marketable Athlete"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intermiamicf.com\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.intermiamicf.com\">Inter Miami<\/a>\u2019s forward Lionel Messi tops SportsPro\u2019s 50 latest rankings of the <a href=\"https:\/\/50mm.sportspromedia.com\/athletes\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/50mm.sportspromedia.com\/athletes\/\">Most Marketable Athletes<\/a> in the world, passing legendary Los Angeles Lakers sensation LeBron James for the No. 1 spot. Football undoubtedly dominates the sports world when it comes to being the most marketable sport. When looking at SportsPro\u2019s list, 22 of the top 50 athletes are footballers, and these athletes hold four of the top 10 spots.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On <em>The Footballco Business Podcast<\/em>, the Editorial Director of SportsPro Media, Michael Long, speaks about Messi\u2019s dominance in market value and how he surpassed the likes of LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen for the top spot.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/6Dbs3VT0CLYsdod9nxwDKh?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameBorder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael mentions that many factors come into play and are heavily considered when deciding where athletes are placed on the Most Marketable Athletes list. The popularity of the sport, total addressable market, market value, initiatives, and the like all factor into an athlete\u2019s ranking.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To start, football is widely considered the most global sport. It is the most covered sport in the media and the most talked about. This factor helps in Messi\u2019s global dominance as he competes in a sport that millions of people tune into. The marketability of football is on a level of its own as it supersedes every other sport on a global level.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To overtake LeBron James is a remarkable feat, and the Most Marketable Athletes list could hint towards the fact that the football brand is getting stronger in the U.S. With the global popularity of football, it is impressive that LeBron James secured the second place ranking for the most marketable athlete. The NBA is a U.S.-based sport and does not have as extensive a global reach as football. Despite this, James has surpassed the likes of Megan Rapinoe, Kylian Mbapp\u00e9, and Novak Djokovic, who all compete in globally dominant sports.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">??| BREAKING: Lionel Messi has surpassed LeBron James as the most marketable athlete in the world.<br><br>[<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SportsPro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SportsPro<\/a>] <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ly93PSGyvv\">pic.twitter.com\/ly93PSGyvv<\/a><\/p>&mdash; CentreGoals. (@centregoals) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/centregoals\/status\/1767979256292978824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 13, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael delves into how Messi came out on top of the list through more personal factors. The Argentinian native was featured as No. 1 on the list three years ago and found his way back to the top.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 36-year-old is widely regarded as a generational talent and the greatest of all time in the world\u2019s most popular sport. The 8-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner was highly ranked in several areas that factor into his ranking.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Total Marketability Score of an athlete is the sum of three pillars: Total Addressable Market, Athlete Brand Strength, and ECON- Triple Bottom Line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">?? <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SportsPro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SportsPro<\/a>\u2019s most marketable athlete ranking of 2023.<br><br>1- Lionel Messi<br>2- Lebron James<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>16- Lewandowski<br>.<br>.<br>26- Bukayo Saka<br>27- Cristiano Ronaldo<br><br>Bot followers on Instagram really fooled no one ? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/M1YF3ubXKZ\">pic.twitter.com\/M1YF3ubXKZ<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Max St\u00e9ph (@maxstephh) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/maxstephh\/status\/1768030676891148326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 13, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Messi\u2019s Total Addressable Market<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A key pillar in which each athlete is scored is the Total Addressable Market (TAM), which factors in an athlete\u2019s overall reach, audience engagement, sport-team awareness, athlete awareness, and sponsor awareness, to name a few. Being a global sensation with over 500 million followers on Instagram alone, Messi excels in all these areas as he is in the top 1-2% of athletes in all these aspects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The TAM makes up 45% of an athlete\u2019s total marketability score, and when looking at how Messi performs in this pillar, he excels with a ranking of 44.35\/45.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Messi\u2019s Athlete Brand Strength<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second key pillar in an athlete\u2019s marketability is the Athlete\u2019s Brand Strength, which comprises 35% of the marketability score. This pillar considers the player\u2019s authenticity, brand risk and reputation, in-sport performance, presentation, purpose, mission, and values.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout his career, Messi has shown public support for various environmental and social causes that play a role in his purpose, mission, and values. The 36-year-old is a UNICEF ambassador. He has the Leo Messi Foundation and works publicly with other initiatives. This all works in his favor as this element aligns with fans and numerous brands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, an Athlete\u2019s Brand Strength considers their in-sport performances, and Messi is likely the most outstanding athlete in this regard. The 36-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/messis-life-after-clinching-world-cup-title\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/messis-life-after-clinching-world-cup-title\">clinched the 2022 FIFA World Cup<\/a> for his home country, Argentina. He had an impressive and lengthy career at FC Barcelona before moving to Paris Saint-Germain. The Argentinian sensation also became the first football player to receive eight Ballon d\u2019Or trophies in the award\u2019s history.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CzDgO5qNXQr\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CzDgO5qNXQr\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CzDgO5qNXQr\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>When analyzing all of these factors in conjunction, Messi receives a ranking of 30.46\/35 on his Brand Strength. To put this number into perspective, his rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, has a brand strength of 19.86\/35.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Messi\u2019s ECON- Triple Bottom Line<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An athlete\u2019s ECON- Triple Bottom Line considers their Athlete Market Value ROI, Social ROI, and Environmental ROO. These aspects all factor into the economics of an athlete by looking at aspects such as the median income of an athlete\u2019s Instagram followers based on their country, an athlete\u2019s Paid Post Performance, and their total in-sport earnings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When looking at the economic aspect of this generational talent, Messi receives a perfect score of 20\/20. As the second-most followed account on Instagram with 501 million followers, Messi has an enormous global reach on the general public and can utilize his platform for the performance of his paid posts. Additionally, being the most marketable athlete, Messi has significant in-sport earnings, which plays a role in his perfect ranking.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Other Key Factors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 36-year-old quickly returned to the spotlight after taking the media world by storm. The Argentinian sensation sparked a lot of talk throughout the summer about where he would move as there were talks about the Saudi Pro League as they poached many star footballers. Still, as everyone knows, the 36-year-old ended up signing with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\">MLS<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CuukmAur4i8\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CuukmAur4i8\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CuukmAur4i8\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Inter Miami CF (@intermiamicf)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>This move to Inter Miami put Messi\u2019s career back in the spotlight, further improving his brand strength. There was a fear that his career was fading out at Paris Saint-Germain as he was no longer the most-talked-about player in Paris because of the French sensation Kylian Mbapp\u00e9.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The U.S. sports market is the greatest sports business market on the planet and had yet to awaken to the allure of Messi. Following his move to Inter Miami, many Americans became aware of the Argentinian native despite football being an unpopular sport in the U.S. This career move helped propel Messi to the top of the Most Marketable Athlete list as he joined the most prominent sports business market on the planet in a fast-growing league like the MLS, opening numerous marketing opportunities for the star.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With all the allure that follows the generational talent, all MLS teams increase their ticket prices when Messi is in town, further profiting from his marketability. Even Apple TV+ experienced the Messi effect as it is believed that 2 million users subscribed to the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+ since Messi\u2019s MLS debut.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brands have taken note of Messi\u2019s effect in the U.S. market, and some companies have chosen to monetize off of the footballer. Messi made his Super Bowl debut in the most-watched U.S. program to exist. He appeared in Michelob Ultra\u2019s Super Bowl ad alongside Jason Sudeikis, adding to his enormous advertising reach in the United States and globally.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It will be interesting to see if any athlete can reach Messi\u2019s global star status and have a similar effect on the market as Messi has.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inter Miami\u2019s forward Lionel Messi tops SportsPro\u2019s 50 latest rankings of the Most Marketable Athletes in the world, passing legendary Los Angeles Lakers sensation LeBron James for the No. 1 spot. Football undoubtedly dominates the sports world when it comes to being the most marketable sport. When looking at SportsPro\u2019s list, 22 of the top &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":4681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1345,808,159,82,96],"class_list":["post-5013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","tag-inter-miami","tag-lebron-james","tag-lionel-messi","tag-messi","tag-mls"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}