There’s no doubt that a player who identifies with the club we support and brings victories and titles tends to become more beloved by the fans. However, that affection usually remains limited to supporters of their own team. Because of rivalries, few athletes manage to inspire admiration that goes beyond club boundaries.
Extraordinary players like Ronaldinho, Messi, Ronaldo, and Cristiano Ronaldo stand out not only for their talent and skill but also for their visibility and relatively low level of controversy.
Unfortunately, most fans are unaware of the social initiatives and community projects many players are involved in, efforts that could have a major influence on winning people’s hearts beyond the pitch.
Well, the article is sprinkled with a few names already, haha 👀. And I truly can't think of anyone for the purpose-only circle. I'd love to hear your list, though!
Hi Heloisa, I think from a personality and purpose perspective, Ian Wright has steadily grown into our consciousness and if you're old enough to have seen him play (admittedly I am not) one could argue that his performances bring him right into the centre of the diagram. That being said, I think he played in an era where outside of the playing pitch and deliberate TV excerpts, there wasn't much opportunity to show your personality.
Hector Bellerin was a great forerunner of the personality and purpose intersection. He expressed his personality and affinity for fashion very early on and never shied away from issues close to his heart. Unfortunately the injuries and inconsistencies in performances robbed him of opportunity for a more widespread impact.
I believe that as we are in an era of widespread social media use for both exposure of self and ability to engage in advocacy on a large and public scale, there is going to be an increase in the need for high profile performances at a consistent level to buttress the other 2 factors in a players reach. Marcus Rashford has shown this both early on in his career and now. He's got serious Lewis Hamilton vibes!
The purpose and performance tends for me to be seen in players from countries that culturally value conservativeness and or players who have strong religious values. For me an example of this is Ricardo Kaka and recently retired Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, both strong performers, leaders and outspoken Christians
Such a brilliant perspective! So much of global fandom is based on emotion, not merely stats. Rashford's case shows how fans are able to recognize themselves in his journey. That human echo is rare and worth protecting. And I like your Venn diagram too!
Excellent point!
There’s no doubt that a player who identifies with the club we support and brings victories and titles tends to become more beloved by the fans. However, that affection usually remains limited to supporters of their own team. Because of rivalries, few athletes manage to inspire admiration that goes beyond club boundaries.
Extraordinary players like Ronaldinho, Messi, Ronaldo, and Cristiano Ronaldo stand out not only for their talent and skill but also for their visibility and relatively low level of controversy.
Unfortunately, most fans are unaware of the social initiatives and community projects many players are involved in, efforts that could have a major influence on winning people’s hearts beyond the pitch.
Thanks for sharing 🙏🏻
Absolutely excellent. I am curious, would you indulge us with your version of which footballer aptly fits in each description on your Venn diagram?
Well, the article is sprinkled with a few names already, haha 👀. And I truly can't think of anyone for the purpose-only circle. I'd love to hear your list, though!
Hi Heloisa, I think from a personality and purpose perspective, Ian Wright has steadily grown into our consciousness and if you're old enough to have seen him play (admittedly I am not) one could argue that his performances bring him right into the centre of the diagram. That being said, I think he played in an era where outside of the playing pitch and deliberate TV excerpts, there wasn't much opportunity to show your personality.
Hector Bellerin was a great forerunner of the personality and purpose intersection. He expressed his personality and affinity for fashion very early on and never shied away from issues close to his heart. Unfortunately the injuries and inconsistencies in performances robbed him of opportunity for a more widespread impact.
I believe that as we are in an era of widespread social media use for both exposure of self and ability to engage in advocacy on a large and public scale, there is going to be an increase in the need for high profile performances at a consistent level to buttress the other 2 factors in a players reach. Marcus Rashford has shown this both early on in his career and now. He's got serious Lewis Hamilton vibes!
The purpose and performance tends for me to be seen in players from countries that culturally value conservativeness and or players who have strong religious values. For me an example of this is Ricardo Kaka and recently retired Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, both strong performers, leaders and outspoken Christians
Good read! I presume you are next going to publish this study in a scientific journal? 🙂
Yes and I might prepare an extended version for that- maybe the chemistry behind disliking footballers? 🤔
Such a brilliant perspective! So much of global fandom is based on emotion, not merely stats. Rashford's case shows how fans are able to recognize themselves in his journey. That human echo is rare and worth protecting. And I like your Venn diagram too!
Thank you for your kind comment, Kwame! Totally agree that it's worth protecting the human echo; you put it beautifully.
Thank you!
Thanks for the link! I also have a soft spot in my heart for soccer players so this was especially fun 💕
Ahh! So glad you enjoyed the read, and such a good surprise to see your comment here! 💜
Spot on in every count Heloisa; loved reading this.
Such a great viewpoint! Good piece.