The sports world was shocked in August 2021 when Cristiano Ronaldo announced his return to Manchester United after 12 years away. The Portuguese superstar had made a name for himself at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009, winning three Premier League titles, one Champions League, and countless individual awards.
Ronaldo’s timely return sparked a frenzy amongst fans around the world, and within hours of the announcement, the club’s official website crashed due to the sheer number of visitors. As expected there was an extremely high volume of fans wanting to buy his new shirt with the iconic number 7.
Manchester United’s official store reported a surge in sales of Ronaldo’s new shirt on the day of his announcement. According to data Ronaldo’s shirt made £187 million in the first 10 days of the sales of the shirt making it an all time Premier League record. Manchester United made £13 million on shirt sales cover his transfer fee of £12.9 million straight away.
Man United tickets also saw a rise in demand to watch Cristiano play.Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time, and his fan base is global. The Portuguese star has a massive social media following, with over 500 million followers across various platforms. He is one of the most marketable athletes in the world, and his return to Manchester United has been a massive boost to the club’s commercial revenue.
Manchester United are not short of players that have a worldwide appeal to supporters and selling shirts. David Beckham is an icon of world football, not only for his talent on the pitch but also for his fashion and style off it.Joining Manchester United’s youth academy when he was just 16. He made his professional debut in 1992 and went on to win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and one UEFA Champions League with the Red Devils. He then played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain before retiring in 2013. During his career, Beckham became famous not only for his free kicks and assists but also for his hairstyles, tattoos, and celebrity wife, Victoria Beckham.
Ronaldo’s shirt sales are a more recent phenomenon and have not only been a massive boost to Manchester United’s commercial revenue, but it has also been a boost to the club’s image. The club has struggled in recent years to keep up with its rivals, and the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo has given the fans hope that the club can return to its former glory. The sales of Ronaldo’s shirts have also helped to put Manchester United back on the map in terms of global branding.
The sales of Ronaldo’s shirts have also been a massive boost to the sportswear company, Adidas, which is Manchester United’s official kit supplier. The German company has a long-standing relationship with Ronaldo, and the Portuguese star is one of their most significant endorsers. The sales of Ronaldo’s shirts have helped to boost Adidas’s revenue, and the company is expected to benefit significantly from the increased demand for Manchester United merchandise.
Unfortunately the fairytale return wasn’t to last. After scoring an impressive 30 goals in the 2021/2022 season it wasn’t enough to cover over the cracks that started to appear between himself and manager Ralf Rangnick. Following Rangnick leaving the club things didn’t improve with the arrival of Erik Ten Hag, with the new manager looking to show his authority by benching the superstar striker.
Finally Ronaldo left the club by mutual consent in November 2022 following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan ending the fairytale return but he will always be a club legend. Following the disappointment of leaving Manchester United Ronaldo has signed a deal with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr until 2025 reportedly in a record deal worth £177 million a year with the player stating he was “eager to experience a new football league in a new country”.
