Hold on to your seats for this one, guys.
Becoming the face of a sports brand is nothing new for athletes – after all, who doesn’t want the same kicks as their football/swimming/tennis idol? But this time around, the signing of one footballer alongside German brand, Puma, is making headlines.
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Previously in partnership with Nike, 28-year-old Brazillian footballer Neymar has now been welcomed into the Puma family. And with this, Neymar is adding another accolade to his name. He holds the title for being ‘the most expensive footballer in history’ (in a record-breaking £198 million [RM1,055,806,884] move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017) and with this deal with Puma, Neymar adds the title of ‘the most expensive individual sponsorship contract in sport’ to his belt. What exactly does he get with this new Puma deal?
A whopping £23million-per-year (RM122,644,234).
It’s no wonder that the Paris Saint Germain forward broke off his 11-year contract with Nike despite having only two years left to completion. However, the length of the Puma deal has yet to be revealed. In signing this deal, Neymar’s deal obliterates the deals made by Cristiano Ronaldo with Nike for £15m (RM79,948,232) and Lionel Messi’s £18m (RM95,937,879) Adidas partnership. Taking to his Instagram account to reference the signing and Puma’s iconic Puma KING boot the footballer shared,
“I grew up watching videos of great football legends. They were the KINGs of the pitch. KINGs of my sport. This is exactly what I have dreamt of for myself. I want to do it my way. I wish to bring back the legacy that those athletes created on the pitch. I want the KING to reign on the pitch again and inspire generations, as it has inspired mine.
This will be my PUMA history. THE KING IS BACK ?”
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In a letter posted on Twitter, Neymar went on to share,
“At the beginning of each new season, I take some time to think about my career and the choices I have made…It’s not all about being the best of the greatest but instead, to inspire future generations… Every time I lace my boots, my KING boots, I will do anything – to achieve all my dreams, honor my name, and that of all those great ones that were KING before me.”
📝 In my own words.@pumafootball @PUMA #KingIsBack pic.twitter.com/ZdOrjKv06r
— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) September 12, 2020
For Neymar, the deal means committing to wearing Puma boots, lifestyle wear and training gear for the length of the contract. In doing so, he’s using his influence as the second most popular athlete on social media (according to Forbes, the Brazilian is the with a combined 244 million followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) to promote the brand.
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*Cover image credit: Neymar's Instagram
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