As the most popular sporting event, the FIFA world cup is watched around all across. The world goes crazy during the FIFA. This immensely led to FIFA’s brands, such as the winning trophy and the official emblem which is enormously valuable.
Every time FIFA spends a huge amount of time and money managing and protecting the registered FIFA trademarks. A trademark registration secures the brand identity being hijacked from others. So branding and trademarks are really crucial to ensure the continuation of revenue streams and maintaining the brand’s identity.
FIFA also runs a global licensing programme which aims to provide licensees from various territories to produce officially licensed products. The battle with counterfeit of goods and services will no doubt continue during the FIFA league but also across the world about a range of goods and services produced such as clothing, memorabilia, trophy replicas, and all other goods that FIFA marks.
The unauthorized use of trademarks is quite general in these days which led to sponsorship of sporting events, athletes and teams are nothing new these days.
Sportspeople have moved toward becoming celebrities getting a charge out of superstar status and, in a sense, branding machines. Such athletes draw in unfathomable acknowledgment in their names – with the likes of Messi and CRISTIANO RONALDO ringing a bell.
Lionel Messi, the Argentinian footballer, has as of late been successful in a seven-year-old trademark dispute including his name. This included a Spanish cycling gear manufacturer called MASSI.
Messi connected to file and register his MESSI trademark in the European Union for sporting goods, which was opposed by MASSI trademark on the basis that it was excessively similar to its another MASSI mark. The EUIPO court ruled that MESSI is too famous to be in any way confused with different businesses and that Messi was qualified for register “MESSI trademark” for sporting goods and equipment.
Nonetheless, from being the highest paid footballer on earth, Messi has a long lasting concurrence with Adidas and has also sacked other business transactions including Gatorade, Pepsi, and Huawei.
To further demonstrate the fascination in his internationally perceived name, a Messi Experience Park, an amusement park is due to open in China in 2020.
Ronaldo, the Juventus and Portuguese footballer’s agreement with Juventus are worth $100 million for each annul for the following three years, with his transfer expense being $1 billion. He has a lifetime contract with a sports brand Nike which is apparently worth more than $1 billion. He has also concluded some sponsorship deals, including with Herbalife and EA Sports, which is the authorized licensee to produce the ever-popular FIFA computer game.
Ronaldo has also made his own brand – CR7 – which is featured on the scope of goods including footwear, ascent, jeans, bags and youngsters’ garments. He has also opened a couple of hotels under the CR7 brand.
The significance and generosity in the CR7 brand have also not been neglected by Nike, which has produced some products that feature CR7, including garments, bags, boots, and footballs. These footballers are but just two examples of sportspeople who have accomplished superstardom status that at times transcends club and country.
FIFA World Cup Performance Messi Vs Ronaldo
| World Cup | Messi (Argentina) | Ronaldo(Portugal) |
|---|---|---|
| Russia World Cup 2018 | 4 Apps | 2 Assists | 1 Goals | 4 Apps | 0 Assists | 4 Goals |
| Brazil World Cup 2014 | 7 Apps | 1 Assists | 4 Goals | 3 Apps | 1 Assists | 1 Goals |
| South Africa World Cup 2010 | 5 Apps | 1 Assists | 0 Goals | 4 Apps | 1 Assists | 1 Goals |
| Germany World Cup 2006 | 3 Apps | 1 Assists | 1 Goals | 6 Apps | 0 Assists | 1 Goals |
| All-Time World Cup | 19 Apps | 5 Assists | 6 Goals | 14 Apps | 2 Assists | 7 Goals |
An ongoing trademark dispute closer to home in the field of sports is between US basketballer, LeBron James (whose earnings were unexpected $86 million of every 2017) and resigned South African kickboxer, Andrew Thompson.
LeBron James has thrown the first right hook and demanding that Thompson pull back his trademark application for KING JAMES INC. And that the area name kingjamesinc.co.za be erased. It is claimed that Thompson was known as KING JAMES in kickboxing circles. It will interest see how this plays out.
While the field is open as to who will win the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022, what is sure is that the intensity of trademarks can’t go unnoticed which is featured afresh during this sporting spectacular.
