For the superstars of the game, work doesn’t end when they walk off the pitch or training ground. As they take off the boots they are paid to wear as part of a sponsorship deal they replace them with some sunglasses, a watch, or some headphones that are part of a similar endorsement. That they’re seen wearing these items is not by chance; it’s all orchestrated as part of their numerous endorsement deals, and the king of this particular arena is Neymar.
News broke recently that Neymar has become a global ambassador for the Qatar National Bank. Following this, it has been revealed that the Brazilian captain is the world’s most branded footballer, with endorsement deals for 35 different companies, raking him in an additional £14 million in 2018 on top of his PSG salary of £57 million.
While Cristiano Ronaldo earns more from endorsements – an estimated £37 million in 2018 – it’s the sheer number of deals that Neymar has that stands him alone. Nike remain his principle sponsor in a deal that runs to 2022, with the option of extending to 2024, but he also benefits from lucrative deals from Jordan, Beats, Red Bull, McDonalds, MasterCard, Gillette, Wish, Handicap International, TCL, Digible, Proibida, Cafe Pilao, Replay, C&A, Gol, Oppo, Gaga Milano, EA Games, Honda, AB InBev, Mr Z, Arco, Mauricio De Sousa, Skillab, Panini, Mattel, Romancer, Universo Dod Livros, Rico, Heilar, Air, Cerveja Prohibida, and Sidney Oliveira.
Neymar now boasts 107 million followers on Instagram. To put that into perspective, his current employers, PSG, only have 17.4 million followers. It’s staggering, but it’s also an absolute certainty, statistically speaking, that not every one of Neymar’s followers will even like football. With young fans following individual players as much as teams these days, it’s understandable that brands see them as the perfect walking and talking advertisements for their products, and who can blame him for cashing in on his global fame.
