International soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo plans to continue to build his global brand via a five-year, multi-million-dollar deal with nutrition company Herbalife.

Los Angeles-based Herbalife said that the alliance with Ronaldo includes global publicity rights and various joint promotional activities and “the opportunity for Herbalife and Ronaldo to work together to develop a new co-branded range of sports nutrition products.”

Ronaldo earns about $22 million (US) annually from endorsements, according to industry analysts, which include Nike, Castrol, watchmakers Jacob & Co. and Konami. His total earnings are more than $42 million, which includes his salary from soccer club Real Madrid.

The company said it has alliances with more than 100 athletes and numerous soccer teams around the world, including the Los Angeles Galaxy in the US, Pumas FC in Mexico; Brazilian team Botafogo; Spartak Moscow in Russia and the national teams of Belgium and Venezuela.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest football players in the world, and someone who embodies our philosophy of good nutrition being at the core of a healthy, active life, and a key advantage in the competitive world of professional sport,” Michael O. Johnson, chairman and CEO for Herbalife, said in a statement. “His passion and belief will undoubtedly translate into tremendous opportunities for Herbalife and our independent distributors.”

According to Ronaldo, “I believe strongly in the importance of the right nutrition for me as an individual, both on and off the field. I am looking forward to working with Herbalife, as a company that shares my passion and brings such expertise and knowledge in the area of sports nutrition.”

Barry Janoff is director of sports media marketing initiatives for PromaxBDA. He also is the executive editor for NYSportsJournalism.com which covers national sports marketing, business and media news; and a contributing writer for Yahoo! and MediaPost.

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