Here is the article from Forbes regarding the highest valued teams, brands, athletes, and sporting events. Below is the full summation of the photo and article combination in regards to the highest paid athletes. It is good to finally see that soccer players around the globe are getting there justification in worth. Maybe this will entice some of lower class, uneducated athletes in America to pursue a soccer career instead of one with the BIG 4 – baseball, basketball, football and hockey, where money is more prevalent and there is greater American noteriety because of our coverage, nationalistic views, and power structure. Hopefully, the trend will move into the US marketplace. It’s definitely what we need as a nation to compete for a World Cup. The following comes from Forbes and is a list of player values – something I am very passionate about, especially for the US to make an impact in soccer on the international stage.
“While not in the same earnings league as Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, top-paid soccer players are getting within touching distance of the better-paid U.S. pro sports stars. Money from TV rights is pouring straight through to star players' paychecks, and $200,000 a week base salaries in the English Premier League look set to become more commonplace as a new three-year, $3.3 billion (£1.7 billion) TV deal kicks in for the 2007-08 season. The missing piece? Endorsement deals in the lucrative U.S. market, beyond sporting goods makers like Nike and Adidas. Even there, though, David Beckham is paving the way. Here follows the 10 highest-paid soccer players.
1. Ronaldinho, Barcelona, $29.5 million, £16 million, €23.5 million
The impish Barcelona play-maker is not enjoying the best of seasons by his own standards. Like many of the stars of the last World Cup, a long club and international season has taken its physical toll. But he has leapfrogged David Beckham to become soccer's top-earning player thanks to endorsement deals with Nike and the likes of consumer electronics giant Sony.
2. David Beckham, Real Madrid/Los Angeles Galaxy, $29.1 million, £15.8 million, €23.2 million
No one can shift soccer merchandise like Beckham. He did it for Manchester United during his pomp and for Real Madrid over the past four years, where he won over the fans if not the critics. Now coming to America on the back of a potential $250 million marketing and playing deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy, he has proved he has the marketing savvy to put him in the elite of sports commercial superstars who outlast their playing days.
3. Ronaldo, AC Milan, $23.4 million, £12.7 million, €18.6 million
Injury has reduced the buck-toothed Brazilian striker to a super-sized shadow of the player who is one of only two people to be named FIFA's World Footballer of the Year three times. Offloaded by Real Madrid in a clear-out of its galacticos to AC Milan, Ronaldo seems destined for America, where his playboy lifestyle will sustain marketing appeal that is going nowhere in Europe.
4. Wayne Rooney, Manchester United, $17.2 million, £9.3 million, €13.7 million
The epitome of the sports star who wears his brains in his boots, Rooney's on-field goal-scoring partnership this season with Cristiano Ronaldo, cemented by Paul Scholes' Indian summer, has made Manchester United the English Premiership's unexpected top dogs. The barely 20-something's commercial challenge is to turn raw soccer talent into polished marketing power.
5. Michael Ballack, Chelsea, $16.8 million, £9.1 million, €13.4 million
The switch from being Bayern Munich's superstar to just another highly paid midfielder in Chelsea's glittering firmament of world-class stars has proved a challenge for the German on the pitch. But not when it comes to his bank account. Chelsea is reported to pay him a base salary of $240,000 (£121,000) a week, which would make him--for now--the top-paid player in the game.
6. Thierry Henry, Arsenal, $15.8 million, £8.6 million, €12.6 million
One of Europe's most feared strikers has suffered more than most in 2006-2007 from a punishing 2005-2006 season that culminated in France's defeat in the World Cup Final. But the Arsenal captain's elegance and glamour on and off the pitch--he is married to model Nicole Merry--keeps him a marketeers' favorite--while his Arselal contract of $220,000 (£112,000) a week keeps his bank manager merry, too.
7. Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid, $15.6 million, £8.5 million, €12.4 million
An inglorious end to a glorious career--that head butt in the 2006 World Cup Final--has not diminished the Frenchman's cult status at home now that he is retired. Famously shy for a superstar, he always made more from his playing than his pitching abilities. His earnings power is eroding now that his feet no longer do his talking.
8. Fabio Cannavaro, Real Madrid, $14.6 million, £7.9 million, €11.6 million
Leading Italy to the 2006 World Cup catapulted this Italian defender into the ranks of soccer's best paid thanks to a move to Real Madrid from scandal- tainted Juventus. In Spain, he is not quite the consistent force he was in Italy, but the 32-year-old is still in fine enough form to strip down to his underwear for Dolce & Gabbana ads.
9. John Terry, Chelsea, $14.3 million, £7.7 million, €11.4 million
A hard-driving muscular center half for club and country, Chelsea's iconic captain makes our list thanks to billionaire owner Ramon Abramovich's largesse and a lucrative endorsement deal with kit maker Umbro, even though he is no clothes-hanger. Terry is likely to move up the earnings league next year as his contract is up for renewal.
10. Steven Gerrard, Liverpool, $14.2 million, £7.7 million, €11.3 million
Liverpool's heart and soul, local boy Gerrard provides box-to-box English drive to a midfield of European flair. He's inspirational on the field, and handsomely paid by Liverpool for being so, but has yet to break through to the highest level of marketing superstardom.”
And that is the list of the TOP 10 highest paid soccer players according to Forbes. I would like to know how much Essien, Drogba, Berbatov, and Christiano Ronaldo merit. I think that enticing players of their caliber would be advantageous for US soccer, if the costs are reasonable.
It is also interesting to cross-reference this data with the Forbes Top 10 Athletes…
1. Tiger Woods, $64 million
Woods may capitalize on his brand by signing a $100 million deal with Gatorade that includes royalties from a new drink named after him.
2. David Beckham, $18 million
Beckham's L.A. Galaxy debut garnered more viewers than games 1 and 2 of this year's NHL Stanley Cup Final combined.
3. Phil Mickelson, $16 million
Lefty has proved to be the corporate alternative to Tiger Woods, attracting $39 million in endorsements last year.
4. Roger Federer, $13 million
Just two Grand Slam titles shy of the record, Federer's global appeal continues to grow with each trophy presentation.
5. LeBron James, $11 million
The NBA's most marketable player earns 85% of his income through commercial endorsements.
6. Maria Sharapova, $10 million
At $19 million, the former Wimbledon champ earned more in '06 endorsements than any other female athlete.
7. Ronaldinho, $9 million
The two-time World Player of the Year trails only Beckham in endorsements among soccer players.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr., $9 million
Sponsorship deals with Wrangler Jeans, Chevrolet and Adidas made Earnhardt NASCAR's highest-earning spokesman last year.
9. Peyton Manning, $7 million
NBC's Saturday Night Live guest host takes home double the endorsement income of football's next-highest earner, New Orleans' Reggie Bush.
9. Jeff Gordon, $7 million
In addition to endorsement earnings and royalties, Gordon maintains an ownership stake in his No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet.
and Yahoo’s The Hottest Numbers: Top 20 Jerseys, which measured the hottest jersey searches on the net. Most intriguing were the number of hits U.S. Women's team goalie Hope Solo. I wonder how many hits OJ has racked up over his entire criminal stint? Anyways here’s the list…
1. David Beckham Jersey
2. Marion Barber Jersey
3. Tony Romo Jersey
4. Walter Payton Jersey
5. Tim Tebow Jersey
6. Brett Favre Jersey
7. Michael Vick Jersey
8. Hope Solo Jersey
9. Devin Hester Jersey
10. Vince Young Jersey
11. Randy Moss Jersey
12. Patrick Willis Jersey
13. Reggie Bush Jersey
14. Tom Brady Jersey
15. Peyton Manning Jersey
16. Larry Bird Jersey
17. Joe Montana Jersey
18. Craig Biggio Jersey
19. Steve Nash Jersey
20. Mia Hamm Jersey
No comments:
Post a Comment