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New York, Jun 9: The World Cup has always provided an opportunity for prodigious young stars to showcase their talent and launch commercial careers off the field. In 1958, a 17-year-old Brazilian scored twice in the final against Sweden and gave the world a first look at Edson Arantes do Nascimento. As Pelé, he would become one of soccer's most recognisable personalities—and product endorsers.
This summer, an exceptional crop of young talent will be on display. A breakout tournament could exponentially boost these young stars' earnings power. As a generation of marketing icons, led by England's David Beckham and France's Zinedine Zidane, approach the end of their careers, advertisers are eager to unearth the next marketing sensations.
Real Madrid's Beckham is soccer's top-earning star, bringing in $24 million a year from endorsements—three times his playing salary. His most lucrative deal, with Gillette, is estimated to be worth $9 million over three years. Beckham's ability to move merchandise, including replica uniforms, was widely regarded as a factor in his high-profile transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2003.
Ability is only one requirement of would-be Beckham successors. Their talent needs to be affirmed by success at either club or international level. The next young superstar needs wide demographic and geographic appeal as well.
Conventional good looks are not necessary, provided the personality is there. Take Ronaldinho. The bucktoothed, impish-looking Brazilian is the most commercially valuable football player in the world, according to a study by Omnicom Group subsidiary BBDO Germany. His endorsements include Nike, PepsiCo and Sony.
Advertisers don't like bad boys, so up-and-coming stars need to remain free of scandal. "Marketers have become very cautious about this," says Shawn Bradley of the Bonham Group, a sports consultancy. "A company does not want to splash out millions to then have its name and image tarnished."
The most established of the young stars on show and a prime candidate for a place on our future list of the highest paid soccer players is Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona. He inspired Argentina to a World Youth Championship in 2005 and produced dazzling displays this year for Barcelona in the Champions League.
Adidas announced a long-term sponsorship deal with Messi in February, snatching him from under the nose of archrival Nike. The company sees him maturing into the replacement for its two biggest stars, Beckham and Zidane.
Messi's marketability is boosted by his status as the new Maradona, the legendary Argentina World Cup star of the 1980s and 1990s who was voted best player of the 20th century by FIFA, the international governing body of soccer. "This will allow Adidas to penetrate the South American market," says Dan Jones, a partner in Deloitte & Touche's Sports Business Group.
Adidas also has high hopes for Germany's wunderkind, Lukas Podolski. The Polish-born striker enjoyed a sensational start to his international career, scoring seven goals in his first 13 appearances. Host Germany's World Cup fortunes may turn on Podolski, who will have only just turned 21 when the tournament begins.
The striker has already picked up a sufficient portfolio of endorsements to put him in the top 20 of BBDO's list of the most commercially valuable players. Many believe that a brand can be created around the clean-cut Podolski: He is already the face (and body) of Axe body spray, and Adidas has created a Podolski line of boots—the LP-10s.
Podolski is relatively unknown outside of Germany, but this may soon change. On June 1, he transferred from FC Cologne to the German champions Bayern Munich, which will let him be seen on television across Europe in the high-profile Champions League. "This, coupled with an outstanding World Cup, will generate much more exposure for Podolski," Bradley says.
Francesc Fabregas is another exceptional young talent being looked at with interest by marketers. The Catalonian first gained attention in 2003 at FIFA's U-17 World Championship in Finland, where he was the top scorer and named most valuable player. This year, Fabregas gained rave reviews for his influence at the heart of Arsenal's midfield, helping the English club to the final of the Champions League.
Rarely does such a young player excel in central midfield, a position where experience is reckoned to be as important as skill. Fabregas' poise and maturity on the field is matched off it. He is articulate, intelligent and charismatic—all attractive qualities to marketers.
However, the Spaniard only made his full international debut in a game against the Ivory Coast in March. "He may find it difficult to break into the Spanish starting XI," Bradley says. "But if he can, he'll make a huge impact." That would be a win for Nike, which has Fabregas under contract.
Podolski and Messi constitute Adidas' next-generation offensive against Nike, which has entered this World Cup pitching hard its young Brazilian stars Ronaldinho, Real Madrid's Ronaldo and Inter Milan's Adriano in an advertising campaign titled, ‘Joga Bonito’—Portuguese for "play beautifully".
Adidas, the official sporting-goods sponsor for the 2006 World Cup, trails Nike in sales in most sports except for soccer. It is outspending its rival $200 million to $100 million in marketing dollars around this tournament on its home turf, to solidify its position. The long-term outcome of this fierce rivalry will turn on which company is best at picking the young men that the soccer gods anoint as World Cup stars.