Ronaldo is world’s most influential sports star
Ronaldo is also the most searched sports star globally - by some distance.
Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's most influential sports star, new data has revealed.
The 37-year-old Manchester United forward remains one of the biggest names in sports thanks to his incredible performances and longevity.
And, as reported by betting.com, he is also the most searched sports star globally - by some distance.
On average, Ronaldo's name is searched 11 million times per month.
That is nearly five million more than the next biggest - which is American football player Ryan Ramczyk.
The 28-year-old offensive tackle receives 6.1m searches per month, a number which puts him marginally ahead of Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar on 5.8m.
Then comes NBA legend LeBron James on 5.3m - the only other sports star to be above 5m searches per month.
Ronaldo's long-time rival Messi is down in fifth with 4.8m - which you would presume is a result of the Argentine being less of a "celebrity" than his Portuguese counterpart.
After Messi on the list is seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady on 4.3m.
And then comes the Formula One pair of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Verstappen pipped Hamilton to the 2021 title in dramatic fashion, but it is the Brit who has the edge on this occasion - 3.9m to 3.8m.
Aaron Rodgers, a third NFL player, also made the top 10 most searched sports stars.
And rounding out the list is UFC superstar Conor McGregor - with the Irishman racking up a monthly average of 3.1m despite having not fought for nearly a year.
Ahrefs.com was used to find each athlete's monthly search volume.
