Nike executives were reportedly delighted to have Cristiano Ronaldo as the face of the company rather than Lionel Messi because the Portuguese star has a bigger personality.
Ronaldo has been sponsored by Nike since 2003 and became just the third athlete in the company’s history to be awarded a lifetime contract in 2016. The Manchester United striker has become synonymous with the American manufacturer, appearing in countless adverts as his career has developed.
Messi, meanwhile, has been tied to Nike’s biggest rival, Adidas, since 2006 and like Ronaldo he penned a lifetime deal with the company in 2017. The two players have always been compared and pitted against each other throughout their careers and the sponsorship deals have become a part of that narrative.
