Lionel Messi beats Cristiano Ronaldo’s shirt sale record
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 24 Jun 2022 19:02 BST
- 3 min read
Lionel Messi has beaten long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the shirt sale stakes, with the Argentine’s transfer from Barcelona to PSG proving a marketing dream.
Messi struggled on the field in Ligue 1 this season, netting just six goals, and though he contributed an impressive 15 assists, his first campaign in France has generally been considered to be a flop.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, however, spoke up the impact that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has had on the commercial side for the club, and that is reflected in the formidable number of shirt sales he has generated for the team.
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It has been revealed that PSG sold more than one million shirts last season – with Messi’s No.30 shirt contributing to 60% of this figure.
Although Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United saw the Portuguese generate an estimated €217 million (£187m) in shirt sales last September, the momentum behind Messi has not stopped and he has sold more official jerseys than his long-time rival.
PSG reach ceiling in shirt sales
PSG are also the club that sells the most shirts in world football, overcoming the Red Devils in this case.
Marc Armstrong, PSG’s chief partnerships officer, told Marca: “Demand has grown between 30 and 40% for shirts and what can really stop it is supply. When a transfer of this magnitude happens, Cristiano Ronaldo to United for example, you might think that they are going to pay for him by selling shirts, but that is not the case.
“You can't produce a lot of extra shirts. We have reached the ceiling. Nobody can meet that demand. We are already selling a lot of shirts, more maybe than any other team in the world for a player, and that puts us at the next level. We have a lot of demand for lifestyle products, the revenue with the Jordan brand is huge, but the demand grows even more when you sign a player like Messi.”
PSG estimate that they have made in excess of €700m revenue since Messi signed – a record for the club.
