World Cup Fever Has New Yorkers Noticing Soccer Stars On And Off The Field
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- World Cup excitement has hit a fever pitch in New York, but for many people the interest in soccer stars goes beyond their talents on the field.
With skill and athleticism, attractive players like soccer's rising star Neymar have gotten everyone's attention, CBS 2's Alice Gainer reported.
With a pair of goals during Brazil's game against Croatia the 22-year-old Brazilian has gotten noticed for his play and his style, gaining on FIFA's reigning World Player Of The Year, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal's Ronaldo is arguably the game's biggest and most recognizable star. He has posed for Armani, Vogue, and Vanity Fair taking in $80-million, nearly $28-million of which came from product endorsements.
"They have to play well; they had to be good. You can't just be beautiful and look great in an underwear ad unless you're good," New York Times, Style Reporter, John Koblin explained.
Koblin believes that retired English soccer star David Beckham started the crossover.
"Beckham is the sort of guy who, if he had a fohawk, everybody else had a fohawk. He married a pop star turned fashion designer. Ever since David Beckham really hit it big, you sort of look at the soccer field as a runway," Koblin said.
The entire Italian national team has been outfitted by Dolce & Gabbana during their time in Brazil.
Other players to look out for include Argentina's Lionel Messi and Italy's Mario Balotelli, both are highly skilled players with endorsement deals.
For now Ronaldo is commanding the most attention, although he did cut a recent training session short due to what could be tendinitis.
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