• Analysis

Ronaldo leaves Messi for dust by smashing shirt sales & social media records

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi
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Records are being broken everywhere as the CR7 effect takes shape over at Manchester United following Cristiano Ronaldo’s return.

Almost a week after completing a return to Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the talk of the town.

Fans in Manchester and throughout the world have rejoiced at the homecoming of a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, one who seeks to restore the club’s glory days in both the Premier League and Champions League.

September 11, the day Ronaldo could make his second Red Devils debut, couldn’t come soon enough.

In the meantime, though, CR7 continues to make headlines, influence goal celebrations, drive fans mental, and, of course, break records.

Manchester United’s shirt sales reach insane figures

Since United confirmed Ronaldo would reclaim the iconic No.7 jersey last Thursday, fans have flocked the club’s official store at Old Trafford to buy a replica of the superstar’s shirt.

Fanatics, who runs United’s online store, has declared that Ronaldo became the highest-selling player ever in the 24-hour period that followed after completing his return to Old Trafford.

According to the Mirror, CR7’s figures surpassed those registered by Lionel Messi, when he joined Paris Saint-Germain, and NFL quarterback Tom Brady after his move to Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

Love The Sales has added that Ronaldo’s No.7 jerseys sales generated £68.1 million in the first 72 hours. It claimed United have recouped half of the £12.9m transfer fee paid to Juventus, thanks to a £6.81m commission.

Of course, United pocket around 10% of all shirt sales as part of an agreement with the kit’s sponsors.

Most Premier League player shirt sales

In a list supplied by Love The Sales, Ronaldo’s shirt is also the most sold of any Premier League player for this season.

Social media goes wild

The hype over Ronaldo’s comeback took over social media before the deal was confirmed. Once United had announced it on Twitter, the tweet got over 330,000 retweets and one million likes in an hour – a record for a sports franchise.

United’s official website soon crashed, while the club’s Instagram announcement got around 9.2 million likes and over 400,000 comments in three hours.

Transfermarkt has since stated that United have gained 4.43 million followers on Instagram. The club’s share price is currently open at $17.30, and its market cap has increased to $2.819B on YCharts.

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