top of page
Search

Established isn’t the same as rising: two routes into the 2026 50 Most Marketable Athletes

Writer: Chris Collins
Chris Collins
2 days ago
3 min read
Scatter chart of SportsPro’s 2026 top 150 athletes, Brand Equity against Momentum. Lionel Messi has the highest Brand Equity; Fernando Mendoza the highest Momentum.

Lionel Messi and Fernando Mendoza sit 25th and 27th in SportsPro’s 2026 50 Most Marketable Athletes, just 0.34 points apart. They could hardly have got there more differently.


Messi holds the highest Brand Equity in the top 150: 41.36 of a possible 45 points. Mendoza holds the highest Momentum: 39.71 of 40. Yet Mendoza’s Brand Equity, 12.85, is the lowest in the top 50, and Messi’s Momentum, 20.98, sits below the median of the top 150. One athlete has built his value over two decades; the other is gaining it faster than anyone on the list.


Two routes to the top of the most marketable athletes list


The NorthStar Marketability Score powering the list combines three pillars: Brand Equity (out of 45), the value an athlete has built; Momentum (out of 40), the value they are gaining now; and Commercial Trajectory (out of 15), the room they have to grow.

Split the top 150 at the median on Brand Equity and on Momentum, and the top 50 divide cleanly:

  • 25 are strong on both. Aryna Sabalenka, Erling Haaland and Giannis Antetokounmpo have built their value and are still adding to it.

  • 12 are established. Strong Brand Equity, Momentum below the median: Messi, LeBron James, Charles Leclerc, Caitlin Clark, Coco Gauff and Max Verstappen among them.

  • 12 are rising. Strong Momentum, Brand Equity still building: Mendoza, AJ Dybantsa, Alysa Liu, Ilia Topuria, Myles Garrett and Sophie Cunningham among them.

  • One took a third route. Jared McCain, 49th, sits below the median on both, carried in by Commercial Trajectory: 14.21 of 15, against a median of 9.36.


Why it matters to a sponsor


Established and rising athletes are different assets. An established athlete offers proven reach and credibility now: the value is already built. A rising athlete offers value that is still building: an earlier position, more upside, and more movement from year to year.

The athletes’ personas reflect the split. Eleven of the 12 established athletes are Value- or Core-style personas, such as Icons, Franchises and Mainstays. Ten of the 12 rising athletes are Growth-style personas, such as Challengers, Risers and Headliners. In investment terms, it is the difference between blue chips and growth stocks.


Build a portfolio, not a pick


A sponsor does not have to choose one route. The better question is how much of each a portfolio should hold.


That is how a financial advisor works. A client’s goals, time horizon and tolerance for risk set a target allocation across asset types. The current portfolio is measured against the target, the gaps are rebalanced, and only then are individual holdings chosen. Sponsorship works the same way: industry, goals, time horizon and risk tolerance set a target mix of athlete persona types, some of them at 0%, before any athlete is named.


A portfolio built only on established names buys today’s reach. One built only on rising names buys upside, with more movement. Most goals call for a deliberate mix, and the right mix differs for every sponsor.


Explore the data: see where every top-150 athlete sits on Brand Equity and Momentum, by sport, on the 50MM page.


Talk to NorthStar: find out how your current sponsorship portfolio compares with the target your goals call for.


SportsPro’s 50 Most Marketable Athletes 2026 is powered by NorthStar. Scores and pillar points are as published. Groups split at the median of the top 150 on each pillar: 25.52 points for Brand Equity and 22.43 for Momentum.

bottom of page