According to the study done by Football Observatory of the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s third most valued player, coming in behind rival Lionel Messi, who ranks in first spot.
The Argentine ace, as written in the study, is estimated to be valued between €255.3m-€280.8m, which is mainly down to his trophy-ladden season with Barcelona, in which he guided the Catalan giants to the treble, winnng La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, ended the campaign without a single silverware, individual awards not included, a result which saw coach Carlo Ancelotti sacked and Rafael Benitez brought in as a replacement.
Valued between €113.3m-124.7m, the three-time Ballon d’Or winner was surpassed by Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, who finished in second with an estimated market value of €135.4m-€148.9m.
Having lifted the English Premier League title this term with the Blues, evidently leading to him being named PFA Player of the Year, the Belgian ace’s relatively young age could be seen as a major factor which resulted in him finishing ahead of the 30-year-old Cristiano.
La Pulga’s Barcelona team-mate Neymar came in fourth, at €89.6m-€98.5, whilst fellow Argentine Sergio Aguero rounded off the top five with a value worth of €78.2m to €86.0m.
Elsewhere, there was a substantial rise in ranking for Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, two young players, below the age of 23 and linked with mega-money moves this summer.
The Englishman and Frenchman’s values are estimated at €73.7m-€81.0m and €70.3m-€77.3m, coming in at sixth and seventh, respectively.
See the top 100 in CIES' latest monthly report.
