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Footballers are among the most popular celebrities in the world due to their exploits on the field of play.
Here are the most popular
football players in 2020.
5. Kylian Mbappe
The France international has quickly established himself as one of the best players in the world and is considered the world's most expensive player from a transfer value perspective by the CIES.
The year 2020 has seen Mbappe enjoy success on and off the pitch, winning the French Ligue 1 with Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and earning millions of dollars through his endorsement deal with Nike.
Mbappe, who is the global ambassador of Swiss watchmaker Hublot, has been touted as the next big football megastar, heir to football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 21-year-old forward has already won the prestigious FIFA World Cup with France and looks destined to become the most popular footballer in the world in the future.
"He (Mbappe) reminds me of Ronaldo of the 1996 Olympics. He has the characteristics of a world-class player and he must manage them properly."
"If he follows Ronaldo's career, 'O Phenomenon', he will be one of the legends that has made history in the sport," former France international Nicolas Anelka stated on Tribal Football.
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4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The Swedish superstar remains one of the most popular footballers in the world having had a successful spell with the Los Angeles Galaxy in the United States of America (USA).
Ibrahimovic's stay in the City of Angels saw his popularity grow as he impressed with his ability to score incredible goals having scooped the 2018 MLS Goal of the Year Award.
The former FC Barcelona centre forward is back in Europe after rejoining one of the biggest clubs in Italy, AC Milan where he has hit the ground running this season.
Furthermore, Ibrahimovic has over 40 million Instagram followers, the most for a person from Sweden and advertises products including Vitamin Well sports drinks, Microsoft Xbox and Nivea.
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3. Neymar
The Brazil international is considered to be the third-best footballer in the world behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and moving to French giants PSG in 2017 has boosted his popularity.
Neymar is the main player at PSG and remains the most expensive footballer in football history with PSG having reportedly paid €222 million when they purchased him from FC Barcelona.
Forbes ranks Neymar as the third highest-paid footballer in the world behind Messi and Ronaldo. The skillful winger was ranked the world's fourth most famous athlete late last year by ESPN.
Lastly, Neymar, who appeared in Spanish heist crime drama television series, Money Heist in 2019, helped PSG clinch the French Ligue 1 title this year.
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2. Lionel Messi
The Argentina captain is the best footballer in the world as he is the current holder of the two most prestigious individual awards in football, The Best FIFA Men's Player and Ballon d'Or.
Messi is also one of the richest footballers on the planet as he was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019, earning a whopping $92 million annual at Barcelona.
The left-footed forward, who was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2011 and 2012, and was awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year in 2020.
Messi's marketing brand has been based exclusively on his talents and achievements as a player, in contrast to an arguably more glamorous player like Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 32-year-old remains unstoppable on the field of play having scored four goals in a 5–0 home win over Eibar in
La Liga on the 22nd February 2020.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese icon is arguably the most famous celebrity in the world at the moment as he is the most followed person on social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram.
Ronaldo is also one of the most marketable and famous athletes on the plant having been named the world's most famous athlete by ESPN from 2016 to 2019.
With earnings of €720 million (£615 million) from 2010 to 2019, the Juventus forward was ranked second in Forbes list of highest-paid athletes of the last decade.
The 35-year-old remains influential on the pitch having scored for a record-equalling 11th consecutive Serie A game in a 2-1 win for Juventus against SPAL in February 2020. A record he shares with Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella. It was also his 1000th senior professional game.
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