When Cristiano Ronaldo was seen sporting sneakers that weren’t manufactured by Nike, it created quite a commotion.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been associated with the Swoosh brand for more than 20 years, serving as its unchallenged football brand ambassador.
Ronaldo inked a lucrative, long-term contract with Nike in 2016, and since then, he has worn over 70 pairs of the brand’s boots, including his custom CR7 models. Ronaldo, who reportedly earns £147 million year from Nike, also has access to a private website where he can place any kind of order.
But even with the freebies, Ronaldo was spotted sporting shoes from a competitor of Nike. A photo of Ronaldo and pal Miguel Paixao from when they were playing padel tennis appeared online. The Al Nassr star is seen wearing Asics trainers, despite the fact that he is not thought to have any business relationship with them.
Although the Portuguese supermodel has been spotted sporting Gucci and Louis Vuitton, she is not a direct rival of Nike in the running shoe business.
Although he had worn Nike sneakers on the court in the past, he controversially chose to wear Asicas this time. It comes after he was seen last year wearing Adidas shinpads during Al Nassr’s preseason match against Celta Vigo.
Cristiano Jr., the son of Ronaldo, faced criticism in 2022 after donning Adidas apparel. A photo of Maria Dolores, the mother of Ronaldo, and her grandson was posted to her 2.6 million followers.
Many people made fun of him for wearing an Adidas pair of socks and sliders with a Nike hoodie. Enraged, Ronaldo vowed to retaliate, saying, “He wears what he wants.” Not what you’re after.”
After playing for Portugal at Euro 2024, Ronaldo is presently on leave. He is anticipated to report to Al Nassr for preseason soon.
