Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are arguably the two greatest football players in the 21st century, although choosing which one is the best among them may come down to an individual's preference. With dozens of trophies, hundreds of goals, and achievements to their name, the undeniable “dual force” has taken their influence on and off the pitch. Their presence, resilience, and the fear they inspire in opponents have had a notable impact on global football betting odds.
Ronaldo and Messi’s influence on global odds
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are not your average footballers. They’re two incredibly talented players who’ve managed to be at the top of the game for years. They each have a massive fanbase, a combined 1 billion followers on Instagram for context, so having either of these players in a match for their team leads to a surge in wagers.
Beyond general interest, these two footballing legends have popularised “specialised bet markets,” which centre on player performances. For example, ‘Lionel Messi to score a free kick goal’ or ‘Cristiano Ronaldo to assist a goal and score a penalty in a game.’ Betting markets like these bring direct engagement from their billions of fans. They are usually available on Cheekypunter’s choice of football bookmakers, which have been reviewed and rated by the experts. You may want to check them out if you’re interested in betting on these players’ upcoming matches.
Bookies consider a lot of factors when setting their odds, such as injuries, winning streaks, head-to-heads, and other statistics. However, having a player like Ronaldo or Messi in a game is a factor of its own. That’s because these superstars are often gamechangers. Ronaldo, for instance, is known for dramatic display, comebacks, shot power, and late-game heroics. Consistency, playmaking and technical mastery are the attributes of Messi. Their brilliance can single-handedly shift a game's flow. As such, bookies adjust the odds and lines depending on whether these players are in the lineup or not.
Regional influence
Messi and Ronaldo's influence is strong in their region of play. Both Ronaldo and Messi are now playing in lower leagues, Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League and Messi in the MLS (U.S.). Their move to their current clubs, Inter Miami and Al Nassr brought about dramatic increases in local interest, as well as significant growth in followership and betting handle.
On the other hand, their departures often have the opposite effect, a drop in spectator interest, reduced engagement from fans and so on. This happens not just because they are big names, but also because their performances elevate their teams. Bookies will systematically adjust the odds to reflect the arrival and departure of these players.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are not your average footballers. a force to reckon with in the betting industry. Their influence is a result of their resilience, abilities to decide games, mystery, and more. Although they have different footballing behaviours, both have a way to always influence and dictate a game according to what they want. Until they retire, they will continue to globally influence odds across bookies.