Lionel Messi, a forward with Inter Miami, is ranked No. 1 among the world’s 50 most marketable athletes by SportsPro, surpassing the great LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. When it comes to being the most marketable sport in the world of sports, football definitely reigns supreme. Football players make up 22 of the top 50 athletes on SportsPro’s list, and they occupy four of the top 10 slots.

Michael Long, the editorial director of SportsPro Media, discusses Messi’s domination in market value on The Footballco Business Podcast. Messi overtook players like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen to take the top spot.

When determining where athletes are listed on the Most Marketable Athletes list, a number of variables are taken into account, as Michael points out. Athlete ranking is influenced by a number of factors, including market value, initiatives, popularity of the sport, and total addressable market.

First off, football is regarded by many as the most international sport. It is the sport that receives the greatest media attention and conversation. This element contributes to Messi’s domination on a worldwide scale because he plays a sport that millions of people watch. Football is more marketable than any other sport since it is the most popular sport in the world.

It’s quite the accomplishment to surpass LeBron James, and the ranking of the Most Marketable Athletes may indicate that football is becoming more popular in the United States. Considering how famous football is all over the world, it’s amazing that LeBron James came in second for most marketable athlete. Compared to football, the NBA is a U.S.-based sport with a smaller global audience. Despite this, James has outperformed players that compete in globally popular sports, such as Novak Djokovic, Megan Rapinoe, and Kylian Mbappé.