Popularity in the world of sports gives athletes the opportunity to secure multi-million dollar sponsorship deals, and SportsPro has compiled a list of the world's best-selling athletes for 2020. Of course, it is headed by some of the most popular names in football.
10. Paulo Dybala (football)
The forward of the Italian Juventus is one of the most recognizable faces not only in world football, but also in the media space. He has a lucrative deal with Adidas and has 40 million Instagram followers.
Dybala is a star who has the unique opportunity to play alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the international and club levels respectively. He is even considered one of Messi's likely successors.
9. Mohamed Salah (soccer)
The Egyptian king of football has gained worldwide popularity after joining Liverpool, becoming the Premier League's top scorer and helping his club win the Champions League.
Salah is the most popular athlete who came from Egypt, and therefore he is adored at home. Mo Salah currently has 40.4 million followers on Instagram.
Pepsi Global has signed several sponsorship deals with the world's best footballers and Salah is one of them. He also has a number of sponsorship deals with brands such as Vodafone, Falken Tires and Uber.
8. Rohit Sharma (cricket)
For a long time, the Indian cricket team could be described as "average". However, the brilliant performance of a new generation of Indian players has propelled them to worldwide popularity.
And although cricket is not as popular a sport in the world as basketball or football, its representative still managed to break into the ranks of the most commercially successful athletes in the world.
In a cricket-obsessed country like India, Rohit Sharma is a hero. He has contracts with companies such as Maggi, Nissan, Aristocrat, Lays, Oppo and Hublot, and has 15.8 million Instagram followers. According to multiple sources, Rohit Sharma's net worth was estimated at $ 18.7 million in 2019.
In addition to cricket, Sharma actively supports animal welfare campaigns. He is the Official Ambassador of the World Wildlife Fund to India and a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
7. Khabib Nurmagomedov (MMA)
The top 10 best-selling athletes of 2020 also includes the representative of Russia - MMA fighter and UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
To date, he has played 28 unbeaten matches, the longest streak of uninterrupted victories in MMA history.
In June of this year, Forbes magazine named Khabib the most successful Russian athlete. This 32-year-old athlete is an ambassador for the SalamPay payment service. Khabib is also sponsored by other big brands such as Reebok, Gorilla Energy and Toyota.
6. Neymar (football)
Neymar is one of the most popular athletes in the world thanks to his flamboyant play style and incredible records. In 2016, he took gold at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and is the third most goals scored for the Brazilian national team, behind Ronaldo and Pele.
Nike is Neymar's main sponsor. The 28-year-old is also sponsored by brands such as Jordan, Red Bull, McDonalds, Gillette, MasterCard, Honda and more.... Neymar's transfer became the most expensive in the history of footballwhen it was bought from Barcelona by Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017 for a whopping 222 million euros.
5. Bianca Andreescu (tennis)
A 20-year-old Canadian tennis sensation named Bianca Andreescu ranks fifth on the list of the most attractive athletes in marketing terms.
She made headlines after beating Serena Williams on her way to winning the US Open and Canadian Opens in 2019. And she became the first Canadian champion to win a Grand Slam tournament.
Bianca Andreescu is sponsored by brands such as Rolex, Head, Nike, Copper Branch and BMW. The girl has 670 thousand followers on Instagram and is currently one of the most sought-after athletes on the planet.
4. Virat Kohli (cricket)
The captain of the Indian national cricket team has already gained 80.5 million followers on Instagram and is one of the most popular sports figures in the world.
Kohli reportedly has a net worth of over $ 119 million and has partnerships with many brands such as Great Learning, iQOO, Blue Star, Wellman, Himalaya, Myntra, Google Duo, Mobile Premier League, and more.
3. LeBron James (basketball)
One of the greatest basketball players of our time, four times became the most valuable player in his brilliant career. Unsurprisingly, he is one of the most liquid athletes in the world.
LeBron has lifelong sponsorships from Nike and partnerships with brands Rimowa, Coca-Cola, Upper Deck, Beats Electronics, Blaze Pizza, Intel, Verizon and several other well-known companies.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (football)
Football - the most popular sport in the worldand it's no surprise that famous footballers can very profitably sell their names to various brands. And the second best-selling footballer in the world is Ronaldo.
He has played for the biggest clubs in the world - Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus - and continues to perform at the highest level despite being 35 years old.
Ronaldo's brand partners are Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotels, Insparya, Nike, Herbalife Nutrition, DAZN, MTG, American Tourister, Abbott and many others.
Cristiano Ronaldo also has 238 million followers and is the most popular Instagram account in the world.
1. Lionel Messi (soccer)
Six-time Golden Ball winner Lionel Messi is currently the most commercially attractive athlete in the world.
The Barcelona legend has 167 million Instagram followers and a lifetime contract with Adidas, as well as lucrative deals with Gatorade, Huawei and Mastercard. In 2019, Forbes magazine named Messi the highest paid athlete in the world.