The most famous footballer in the world, backed by one of the most famous sportswear brands in the world — but maybe not forever. The Nike checkmark has long endorsed the biggest names in sports, and Cristiano Ronaldo is without a doubt one of, if not the biggest names. He has a sponsorship contract with them worth a reported 1 billion dollars.
Now, Nike has expressed “deep concern” about a rape allegation levelled against the Portuguese footballer, and other consequences are starting to pile up too — EA seems to have scrubbed the star from all online promotions for its FIFA 19 game, where he was the picture on the homepage just last week. Now, the homepage shows a picture of people playing the video game.
“We have seen the concerning report that details allegations against Cristiano Ronaldo,” said EA Sports in a statement. “We are closely monitoring the situation, as we expect cover athletes and ambassadors to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with EA’s values.”
In addition, the Portuguese national team has left him off the roster for upcoming matches. The club he currently plays for however, Juventus, has defended him on Twitter saying he showed “great professionalism and dedication” in his time so far with the club. “The events allegedly dating back to almost 10 years ago do not change this opinion, which is shared by anyone who has come into contact with this great champion,” said the short statement.
Ronaldo has denied the allegations, also on Twitter.
The events allegedly dating back to almost 10 years ago do not change this opinion, which is shared by anyone who has come into contact with this great champion. 2/2
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) October 4, 2018
I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense.
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 3, 2018
