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FIFA World Cup Tops List of 50 Most Marketable Sports Properties for the Second Year in a Row

The international men's football spectacle takes the top spot on the list compiled by SponsorPulse, ahead of the Summer Olympics and the NBA.

After securing the top position on last year's list, the international men's football tournament once again emerged as the best in 2021, surpassing the Summer Olympics and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Spanish club football giants Real Madrid and Barcelona both retained their positions near the top of the ranking, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

Similar to 2020, football dominates the list, with seven of the top ten entries. Seven new entries, including four Formula 1 teams, appear in the top 50, with Scuderia Ferrari, ranked 14th, being the highest. Cricket's Indian Premier League (IPL) and mixed martial arts (MMA) are the biggest climbers on the list, moving up 13 and 12 places, respectively.

In its second year, the list ranks international sports properties, including leagues, teams, governing bodies, and major events based on seven key metrics: engagement, intensity, momentum, passion, excitement, purchase consideration, and favorability.

SponsorPulse's research is based on surveys in which more than 30,000 people participated each month, studying consumers' perceptions in 18 of the world's largest markets to accurately determine people's behavior and emotions toward the sports property and their reactions to sponsors of that property. Over 250,000 individuals aged 13 to 64 participated in the surveys, measuring a total of 185 global sports properties.

The top ten of the 50 most marketable sports properties in the world, powered by SponsorPulse 2021:

1 – FIFA World Cup

2 – Summer Olympics

3 – NBA

4 – Real Madrid

5 – Barcelona

6 – UEFA Champions League

7 – UEFA European Championship

8 – Liverpool FC

9 – Premier League

10 – Manchester United

To view the full list of the world's 50 most marketable sports properties, visit https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/properties/.