The Euro 2016 qualifiers kick off this weekend, showcasing the very best in talent in European football.
While on the pitch prowess certainly plays a part, brands look to a number of other factors, including fame and public perception, to assess the marketability of players for their campaigns.
Sports intelligence company Repucom has pulled together the top 10 most marketable players in European football. Its rankings take into account global awareness, appeal, aspiration, trust, and sponsorship revenue, and are based on its own in-house data and a global survey of consumers across 13 markets. Repucom says its survey of 7,000 people represents the views of 1.6 billion consumers worldwide.
10. Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea FC.) Just 28% of the global audience is aware of Hazard, but he has a much higher profile in Belgium, where he is known by 80% of the population. He pulls in around $1.1 to $1.7 million in sponsorship revenue each year.
9. Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid.) Bales generates $5.6 million to $6.8 million in annual sponsorship revenue, mainly from top sponsor Adidas. The winger has a particularly high global aspiration score: 76%.
8. Mario Götze (Germany/Bayern Munich.) The attacking midfielder may not pull in as much sponsorship revenue as his peers ($3.4-$3.9 million,) but he scores extremely highly in terms of appeal amongst both women (76%) and men (74%,) and a global aspiration score of 79%.
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