For many years, if you were to ask the average joe on the street to name the best soccer player in the world, those who do not follow soccer would probably say David Beckham.
But now times have changed, and it appears there’s a challenger for the world’s most famous soccer player. On the field, their personalities are as bright as they are off the field.
Cristiano Ronaldo is quickly becoming the new Hollywood-style soccer pro who is stirring up the buzz on and off the field. The 23-year-old is the first since Beckham to draw the attention of the world outside of football in media. He received yet another individual award when he comfortably won the iconic Ballon d’Or trophy and a sponsorship deal with Nike.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the Manchester United’s newest young hero when he signed from Sporting Lisbon in August 2003 and was immediately given David Beckham’s number 7 shirt.
Leading up to the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo had seven goals through qualifying. Ronaldo was again excellent during Portugal’s ahead of Euro 2008 and is rising at an alarming rate to become one of the best footballers ever known.
While Ronaldo is in the tabloids regularly with new things going on but Beckham has maintained his image to date.
Born in Leytonstone on May 2, 1975, David Robert Joseph Beckham was a Manchester United fan from a very early age and aged 16, he signed as a trainee with Man U. But it wasn’t until 1997 that he emerged into the spotlight, In November 2003 David received an achievement award what he described as his “best” honor to him.
The success enjoyed by David on the football pitch was perhaps only equaled by that of “Brand Beckham”. Marketing initiatives based on his iconic status included a fragrance as well as money-making sponsorship deals with Gillette, Pepsi, and Motorola. Keen to pass on his love for ‘the beautiful game’, David has also branched out into establishing football academies.
