RONALDINHO HAS HIGHER ‘FACE VALUE’ THAN BECKHAM, ACCORDING TO STUDY

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German consultant group BBDO said that research shows Brazil national team and Barcelona forward Ronaldinho has the highest face value of any player in the world, including English national team and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham.

According to the consultancy, Ronaldinho’s brand is worth EUR 47 million, followed by Beckham (44.9 million) and England national team and Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney (43.7 million). They were joined in the top five by two Barcelona forwards, Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o and Argentinean Lionel Messi, both valued at EUR 30 million.

BBDO’s study said that Ronaldinho, 26, is a better brand because of his youth and recent achievements with Barcelona. The forward has won the previous two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and is five years younger than Beckham.

“Beckham owes his second place in the ranking to his status as the ‘metrosexual’ prototype and the lucrative contracts this generated for him,” BBDO said.

Ronaldinho’s Brazilian team mate and Real Madrid striker was seventh on the list and Chelsea’s Frank Lampard was eighth. Arsenal striker Thierry Henry and German national team and German Bundesliga Bayern Munich midfielder rounded out the top 10.

Ironically, Real Madrid officials said one of the reasons they chose to sign Beckham over Ronaldinho was because Beckham’s better looks were more marketable.

“Ronaldinho’s so ugly that he’d sink you as a brand. Between Ronaldinho and Beckham, we’d go for Beckham a hundred times. Just look how handsome Beckham is, the class he has, the image. The whole of Asia has fallen in love with us because of Beckham. Ronaldinho is too ugly,” the Real Madrid official reportedly said.