Cristiano Ronaldo Causes Coca-Cola To Lose $4 Billion In Four Seconds
Cristiano Ronaldo caused a stir on Monday with a gesture involving two bottles of Coca-Cola which soon went viral on social media.
Ronaldo, speaking ahead of Portugal’s Euro 2020 group-stage clash against Hungary, spotted the two bottles of carbonated drinks and immediately moved them away.
The legendary forward then proceeded to take out a bottle of water and said to the cameras: “Agua! (Water!)”.
Ronaldo has previously spoken out about his dislike of sugary soft drinks.
The 36-year-old, who famously treats his body like a temple and is in remarkable physical condition for his age as a direct result, doesn’t like his eldest son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr consuming such products.
“I’m hard with him sometimes because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta sometimes and I’m p***** with him,” Ronaldo admitted.
“I fight with him when he eats chips and fries and everything, he knows I don’t like it.”
Ronaldo’s gesture has ‘negative impact’ on Coca-Cola
However, Ronaldo’s gesture has reportedly had a huge negative impact on Coca-Cola as a brand.
Spanish outlet Marca are reporting that the share price of the company before and after the Portuguese icon’s decision to move the bottles to one side has led to billions of dollars in losses for the company.
Marca claim that Coca-Cola went from being worth $242 billion to $238 billion – a “brutal 1.6% drop” for the company on the stock market.
A $4 billion loss off the back of one gesture by Cristiano Ronaldo. Incredible.
Coca-Cola’s shares were close to 56.10 dollars when the stock market opened at 3pm in Europe.
But 30 minutes later, after Ronaldo and Fernando Santos attended the press conference room at the Puskas Ferenc Stadium in Budapest, stocks reportedly nose-dived to a low of $ 55.22 per share.
Have Coca-Cola or UEFA responded to Ronaldo’s gesture?
Coca-Cola are one of the world’s most famous brands but they are yet to comment about Ronaldo’s gesture.
UEFA have also remained quiet for the time being, although the Daily Mail say the two organisations are ‘unlikely to be happy’ that one of the world’s most influential sports stars has shown such disdain towards Coca-Cola, who have been a partner of the European Championships since 1988.
Ronaldo, who is aiming to lift the Henri Delaunay trophy for the second time in five years this summer, could be competing at the tournament for the final time in his career.
The Juventus forward will be 39 years old when Euro 2024 gets underway.