Neymar tops list of most marketable athletes in the world

Table of Contents
Brazilian football superstar Neymar has been ranked as the most marketable athlete on the planet for the second consecutive year by SportsPro magazine.

Brazil and Santos star Neymar is the leader of a new generation of sporting icons
Brazil and Santos star Neymar is the leader of a new generation of sporting icons

Photo: Getty Images

It is now the second year in a row that Neymar has topped the list, which measures the monetary value, the age, the force in domestic markets, the charisma and their market potential in the next three years.

The Santos striker heads the list ahead of Lionel Messi, Rory McIlroy, Usain Bolt and Cristiano Ronaldo, among other sports stars.

SportsPro editor-in-chief David Cushnan said: "We ranked Neymar as the most marketable athlete in the world last year and there was really no argument for demoting him this time round.

"He is poised to be the star of next year's World Cup, in Brazil, and he still has a blockbuster move to a European club potentially ahead of him."

The 21-year-old Brazilian currently has 11 advertising contracts and the image of the Brazil national team both on and off the field.

Cushnan added: "His superstar status and obvious talent make him a magnet for brands in one of the world's rising economies.

"He's everything a brand would want in an endorser and all the signs are his career has not even peaked yet."

The criteria focuses heavily on value for money, which explains the absence of the likes of David Beckham, Roger Federer or Kobe Bryant or Serena Williams.

"That is no reflection on his (Beckham) skills as a player nor on his undoubted star appeal when it comes to marketing and product endorsement, but simply a reflection of the huge price tag he commands to be associated with a brand," said Cushnan.

There are representatives from 23 countries, with 17 coming from the USA and seven from the United Kingdom, with football being the most selected sport apart of pokies online.

Below you can see the world's Top 50 Most Marketable Athletes in 2013.

1.NeymarFootballBrazil
2.Lionel MessiFootballArgentina
3.Rory McIlroyGolfUnited Kingdom
4.Robert Griffin IIIAmerican FootballUSA
5.Usain BoltAthleticsJamaica
6.Novak DjokovicTennisSerbia
7.Lewis HamiltonFormula OneUnited Kingdom
8.Cristiano RonaldoFootballPortugal
9.Sloane StephensTennisUSA
10.Blake GriffinBasketballUSA
11.Tiger WoodsGolfUSA
12.Sebastian VettelFormula OneGermany
13.Virat KohliCricketIndia
14.LeBron JamesBasketballUSA
15.Victoria AzarenkaTennisBelarus
16.Maria SharapovaTennisRussia
17.Alan OliveiraParalympic SprinterBrazil
18.Andy MurrayTennisUnited Kingdom
19.Alexander OvechkinIce HockeyRussia
20.Missy FranklinSwimmingUSA
21.Vincent KompanyFootballBelgium
22.Carmelo AnthonyBasketballUSA
23.Caroline WozniackiTennisDenmark
24.Sergio PérezFormula OneMexico
25.Rafael NadalTennisSpain
26.Lindsey VonnSkiingUSA
27.Alex MorganFootballUSA
28.Mike TroutBaseballUSA
29.Jack WilshereFootballUnited Kingdom
30.Yani TsengGolfTaiwan
31.Manny PacquiaoBoxingPhilippines
32.Saúl ÁlvarezBoxingMexico
33.Lucas MouraFootballBrazil
34.Bubba WatsonGolfUSA
35.Shaun WhiteSnow/SkateboardingUSA
36.Ellyse PerryCricket/FootballAustralia
37.James HardenBasketballUSA
38.Shinji KagawaFootballJapan
39.Seth JonesIce HockeyUSA
40.Laura RobsonTennisUnited Kingdom
41.David RudishaLong-distance RunnerKenya
42.Mark CavendishCyclingUnited Kingdom
43.Stacy LewisGolfUSA
44.Kim Yu-NaFigure SkatingSouth Korea
45.Danica PatrickNascarUSA
46.Anderson SilvaMMABrazil
47.Dale Earnhardt, Jr.NascarUSA
48.Gareth BaleFootballUnited Kingdom
49.Robert KubicaFormula OnePoland
50.Katie WalshJockeyRepublic of Ireland

Don't forget to join us on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram

Related links:

Personal
Also see: