Discover five footballers who have become muses. photo credit: Instagram screenshot @jacobandco
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Luxury brands are fiercely competing for partnerships with athletes. In search of the ambassador who will embody their values while offering them the greatest visibility, they in particular make eyes at the stars of the round ball. Perfumery, watchmaking, automotive: discover five footballers associated with the luxury sector.
1. Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé has been Dior’s new ambassador since December 2021. The PSG striker will lend his image to the creations of Kim Jones, artistic director of the men’s collections, as well as the perfume
Savage
. Since 2018, Mbappé had already collaborated with Dior, whose outfits he wore for events off the pitch. At the same time, the fashion house, a subsidiary of the LVMH group, entered into an unprecedented two-year partnership with the Parisian football club to create players’ wardrobes.
Kylian Mbappé is solicited by many brands. His oldest sponsor, Nike, earns him around 3 million euros a year. In 2018, a few days before his twentieth birthday, he signed a contract with watchmaker Hublot. In early 2022, he teamed up with eyewear brand Oakley.
2. Megan Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe, captain of the American football team, reigning world champion and winner of the Ballon d’Or in 2019, has been chosen by the Spanish brand Loewe to embody its fall-winter 2020-2021 campaign. This is the first time that a footballer has become the face of a large luxury house. ”
When I’m offered an opportunity outside of sport, especially in the fashion industry, I’m thrilled. In sport, we are often put in boxes
“said the player, known for her pink hair and her commitments to the LGBTQI + community.
3. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is a great watch collector. After 8 years in the ranks of Swiss manufacturer Audemars Piguet, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner signed a 3-year contract with American watchmaker Jacob & Co in January 2019. As part of this partnership, the player has created a limited edition watch of 180 pieces called the Epic X Chrono Messi. Decorated in white and blue in homage to its Argentinian origins, it features its name inscribed in relief on the Grade 5 titanium case, its signature on the sapphire crystal, its logo – a stylized M – on the dial at six o’clock, accompanied of number 10. Selling price: 24,000 euros.
Jacob & Co spoils its ambassador: visiting the Dubai World Expo in 2021, the Argentinian sported a white gold watch studded with diamonds specially designed for him. Value of this unique piece: 530,000 euros.
4. David Beckham
Even retired, David Beckham remains an icon of luxury and fashion. During his career, the former footballer has represented many brands, from the equipment manufacturer Adidas to the watchmaker Breitling. In 2014 he joined Jaguar to support the launch of two new models in China.
He has recently become a Maserati ambassador. To celebrate this collaboration, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player visited the Italian manufacturer’s workshops in Modena to customize an MC20. Called Fuoriserie Edition, it displays the colors of the club it owns, Inter Miami CF, namely pink and black. David Beckham also played with the materials on the bodywork, combining matte and shiny surfaces. The MC20 has a starting price of 220,000 euros, but this special personalized edition would probably reach new heights if the British star decided to part with it one day.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo
In 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo posed for the advertising campaign for the Ghost and SF24 models of the New York luxury jeweler and watchmaker Jacob & Co. Like his rival Lionel Messi, the player is a great lover of watches. In 2018, he appeared at a press conference with a Jacob & Co model from the Caviar Tourbillon range signed Franck Muller on his wrist. Composed of emeralds and 424 diamonds representing more than 15,000 carats in total, the timepiece was estimated at 1.5 million euros.
In 2014, the Portuguese footballer entered into a partnership with the Swiss watch manufacturer Tag Heuer. ”
No other luxury brand has been able to forge such strong ties with top athletes. It’s a brand that’s both incredibly glamorous and unconventional.
“said CR7. At the Ballon d’Or award ceremony in 2016, he wore a Carrera Heuer-02T paved with 68 baguette diamonds specially made for him.
Zinédine Zidane, ambassador of Dior before Kylian Mbappé
In 1999, it was another French footballer, Zinedine Zidane, also crowned with a victory in the World Cup, who posed for the perfume.
Wild Water
by Dior. The PSG striker also gave a nod to this now legendary campaign during a shoot for
Paris Match
. He appears there with his face half hidden in a turtleneck sweater, taking up Zizou’s pose.
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Messi: his new life in Paris
Messi Ballon d’Or 2021: What does the winner really get?
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