Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal faced Slovenia in the UEFA 2024 round of 16, marking a dramatic game for the football legend. Despite missing a penalty and shedding tears, he later redeemed himself with a successful penalty shootout goal, celebrating Portugal’s victory alongside a standout performance by Diego Costa. Following the match, fitness company Whoop, endorsed by Ronaldo, disclosed that his heart rate notably dropped when he took his crucial penalty, suggesting remarkable composure during a tense moment. However, Ricardo Fort, former global sponsorship head at Visa and Coca-Cola, accused Ronaldo of breaching UEFA rules. Fort argued on social media, “Cristiano and WHOOP is ambush marketing to Euro 2024. It is illegal and both the player and the company should be fined.” He elaborated, “The post references a UEFA match, uses the names of national teams, scores, and a player, implying association with the event, which is prohibited. Lack of ‘a competitor as a sponsor’ is no excuse for tolerating infringements. Ambush marketing has been contentious for UEFA previously, notably with Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner fined £80,000 and suspended for a game for displaying Paddy Power-branded underwear during Euro 2012. Ronaldo is strategic about his brand associations in football. During Euro 2020, he conspicuously removed Coca-Cola bottles from a press conference, highlighting the benefits of water over sugary drinks.
