Ronaldo could face punishment for ‘ambush marketing’ at Euro 2024

The captain of the national team could face punishment from UEFA after reporting “ambush marketing” practices. The complaint came from Ricardo Fort, the former global head of sponsorships at Visa and Coca-Cola, on social network X, accusing Cristiano Ronaldo and Woo, fitness that it performance Sports, for this illegal campaign.

Now, ambush marketing is when a brand, in this case Whoop, associates itself with an event without being a sponsor. Whoop joined Euro2024 from the moment Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted wearing a bracelet, and released the data captured by the bracelet.

Ronaldo was seen wearing the bracelet in several training sessions, but after the match with Slovenia, Whoop released data on the heart rates of the Portuguese capital’s men’s football team. This is a violation of the rules.

“The post is about a UEFA match, and uses the names of two teams in play, the results and a player on the pitch. They are insinuating they are associated with the event and that is illegal,” said Ricardo Fort.

This chart was traded today. @Cristiano s @whoop It is a marketing ambush for @Euro2024It is illegal and both the player and the company should be fined. pic.twitter.com/Q2jv98pFrw

– Ricardo Fort (@SportByFort) July 3, 2024

But the issue becomes more complicated: Ronaldo is the company’s ambassador and investor. The investment was announced last May, and although its value was not disclosed, a representative for the Al-Nassr player revealed that it was “one of the most important investments.” [de Ronaldo] Until date.

The rules state that any commercial activity related to Euro 2024 is exclusively limited to UEFA and its commercial partners, such as AliExpress, Alipay+, Betano, BYD, Coca-Cola or Lidl. Whoop’s statements do not directly refer to the European competition, and the action could be in conflict with the rules because it is not listed as having an agreement with the organisation.

Despite everything, the use of this type of device is allowed. An example of the use of this smart bracelet is also Virgil van Dijk, the capital of the Dutch national team.

In terms of analysis, the data taken from Cristiano Ronaldo’s pulse shows that the Portuguese captain’s heart rate dropped seconds before he scored Portugal’s first penalty, already in the penalty shootout. The data also reveals interesting facts such as the fact that Ronaldo’s heart rate rose to 180 beats per minute (bpm) when Bernardo Silva scored Portugal’s final penalty.

Like other smart bracelets, Whoop’s also captures athletic performance and sleep scores.

But Ronaldo’s example is not unique, as there is precedent in European competitions. In the past, UEFA fined former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner specifically for “ambush marketing”. The player had to pay an £80,000 fine for showing off Paddy Power boxers after his goal against Denmark at Euro 2012.

Every moment of preparation counts. What do you think? @Virgil Dijk Was he listening to it in his walk before the match? Whatever, it works. Next stop: quarter-finals! ⚽ pic.twitter.com/Vflz9cm8RE

(Caw, caw) July 2, 2024