Cristiano Ronaldo smashed sales records before he even stepped onto the pitch for Manchester United. Online sports retailer Fanatics reports Ronaldo’s No. 7 shirt for the Red Devils sold more in a single day than any other player’s ever had, beating Lionel Messi’s move to Paris Saint Germain, LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers, and Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Overall, Ronaldo’s jersey has already generated more than $219 million in sales, according to analysis from I Love the Sales. While Adidas, Man U’s outfitter, keeps the majority of the sales, the club’s percentage has already covered the $15 million transfer fee it paid to bring home its former player. Sales for Ronaldo’s jersey have also nearly doubled that of Messi’s for PSG, which have accumulated more than $121 million.
“We are tracking record-breaking sales of ‘Ronaldo 7’ football kits across online retailers, to the point where demand is now outweighing supply,” said I Love the Sales co-founder Stuart McClure. “Online searches for the ‘Ronaldo 7’ shirts have increased by over 600%, compared to last summer’s football shirt data. Not only has Ronaldo smashed the record for the fastest-selling shirt in Premier League history, he’s also made back his £12.9m transfer fee before kicking a ball for the club.”
Remember, these numbers aren’t widely verified; they’re gauged by “tracking sales… across online retailers,” according to LoveTheSales co-founder Stuart McClure. An imperfect science, to be sure.
🚨ANOTHER RECORD FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO🚨
According to multiple reports, CR7's new Man. United jersey has become the most sold jersey during a 24 hour window; beating out Leo Messi's PSG jersey sales 📈 pic.twitter.com/nYVVPA24RA
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