According to the editorial director of SportsPro, Lionel Messi has established himself as the most marketable athlete in the world, surpassing LeBron James in this recognition. He claims that the Argentine’s popularity has increased as a result of his involvement in philanthropic causes and his relocation to the Major League Soccer.
During an interview with the Footballco Business Podcast, Michael Long remarked that the top player for Inter Miami was receiving more attention than any other athlete anywhere in the world. He went on to say that the celebrities who were going to watch the former Barcelona great play at Chase Stadium put him at the top of their list of priorities.Long made the following statement in reference to Lionel Messi’s position at the top of the list of the 50 most marketable athletes:It is the National Basketball Association and the National Football League that are the most notable examples of the courtside culture, which encompasses the sports and entertainment culture. In addition, I believe that Messi is now rubbing shoulders not just with David Beckham and other greats of football, both from the past and the present, but also with all of these other cultural icons from the worlds of sports and entertainment.He went on to say:That kind of puts him into a different dimension almost, I believe, that we haven’t really seen around Messi and certainly didn’t see while he was at Barcelona so much. 
I think that’s something that we couldn’t have seen before. On the other hand, I believe that he has the ability to have a commercial impact on Major League Soccer (MLS) similar to that of David Beckham, regardless of how long he remains in the league. This would certainly put him in a position to compete in the next World Cup, which may be his final tournament. Observing Messi in the United States of America is a pretty fascinating dynamic. A partnership that was built in heaven for marketing.”
Messi, Lionel, playing for Inter Miami (Image courtesy of Getty Images)Long went on to say:”When seen from an economic point of view, his projected worth and market value place him in a very important position. However, he is also known for his public support of social and environmental concerns that he is not particularly well known for. He is an ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), he is the founder of the Leo Messi Foundation, and he is involved in a variety of other environmental efforts. In other words, that has worked out for him. I believe that this kind of cause factor is one of the most significant things for businesses to consider these days when they are linking themselves with sportsmen.There are 22 additional football players who are ranked among the top 50, which includes Lionel Messi. Kylian Mbappe, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapione are the only three athletes to make it into the top ten ranks this year.
The penultimate name in the Top 20 is Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich, while Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona comes in at number sixteen on the list. According to the ranking, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been Lionel Messi’s long-time nemesis in the world of football, is currently ranked #27, one spot behind Bukayo Saka, who plays for Arsenal.