Top Candidate for Best Soccer Player 2017
In 2017, Lionel Messi remained the most statistically dominant player in men's soccer, leading La Liga and the Champions League in goals and assists while winning the UEFA Best Player in Europe award and the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Cristiano Ronaldo finished second in the Ballon d'Or after guiding Real Madrid to a second consecutive Champions League title, scoring 12 goals in the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League campaign, the most by any player that season. Forbes reported that both players ranked among the highest-earning athletes globally that year, with combined on-field and off-field income exceeding $130 million.
Kylian Mbappé emerged as the most expensive teenager in soccer history after his 2017 move from AS Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain, with a transfer fee reported at around $180 million, quickly establishing himself as a central figure in the debate over the best young player in 2017. His Ligue 1 performance that season included 21 goals and 14 assists in 29 league appearances, according to the official Ligue 1 statistics, while his Champions League impact helped PSG reach the quarterfinals.
Earnings, Transfer Value, and Brand Impact
In 2017, Lionel Messi's annual earnings were estimated at roughly $80 million, combining his Barcelona contract with a growing portfolio of sponsorship deals with companies such as Adidas and Pepsi, while his on-field market value was assessed at over $150 million by Transfermarkt, a leading football valuation platform. Cristiano Ronaldo's 2017 earnings were comparable, supported by his Real Madrid contract and endorsement portfolio with brands including Nike and Herbalife, and his transfer to Juventus in 2018 was later valued at an initial fee of around $117 million.
Sponsorship and Media Reach
Messi and Ronaldo together generated billions of social media impressions in 2017, with each surpassing 200 million followers across major platforms, making them the most commercially valuable athletes in soccer according to analytics from Nielsen and Sportcal. Their individual brand deals contributed to record sponsorship revenues for their clubs, with Barcelona and Real Madrid reporting combined annual sponsorship income above $300 million that year, as detailed in the Deloitte Football Money League report.
Statistical Leadership and Team Success
Goals, Assists, and Advanced Metrics
In 2017, Messi recorded 54 goals and 19 assists across all competitions for Barcelona, while Ronaldo scored 55 goals and provided 14 assists, according to official club and UEFA match data, underlining their shared claim as the best soccer player of the year based on direct output metrics. Advanced metrics such as expected goals and chances created placed both players in the top percentile globally, with Messi leading in dribbles completed per match and Ronaldo leading in goals per shot efficiency.
Club and National Team Context
Messi's 2017 season included a Copa América Centenario runner-up finish with Argentina, where he scored the only goal in the final loss to Chile, while Ronaldo led Portugal to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-finals, scoring four goals and earning the Silver Boot. Both players' clubs won domestic league titles and reached the later stages of the Champions League, cementing their 2017 seasons as among the most decorated in modern soccer history.