As the media battle finally reached its peak, many European outlets had no choice but to admit that Zidane might be just "one random trophy away" from becoming the King of Football.
Sky Sports put it bluntly: "With Zidane's current form, if he played one more season, he would absolutely surpass Ronaldo and secure the crown."
"But unfortunately, he chose to retire right at the height of his second peak."
"We all saw the possibility of him becoming the greatest, yet none of us got to witness it."
"Maybe all it would've taken was one more trophy—any trophy. Just one more season as the team's core, and everything would've been settled."
This time, despite Sky Sports' reputation for unreliable commentary, the public response was overwhelmingly positive.
Many fans agreed.
After all, emotionally, it's hard for people to accept the idea that Ronaldo's career might ultimately be considered inferior to Zidane's. They needed a buffer—an explanation they could live with.
At the same time, this became Europe's final line of resistance against declaring Zidane the king… You retired, didn't you? Then we can simply claim that if you hadn't retired, you would've been the King of Football.
A way to acknowledge him—without actually acknowledging him.
As the saying goes: what people resent isn't "having little," but "being treated unequally." If the French get to claim the King of Football, then what are Germany, England, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Portugal supposed to say?
What about Brazil?
Argentina?
They're outsiders—doesn't matter.
Football, at the end of the day, is still a European game. How does the saying go?
Better to give it to outsiders than to someone from your own backyard.
Same logic.
...
Where some chase fame, others chase profit.
While Europe's media circled endlessly around Zidane's "coronation," someone else was busy making a fortune behind the scenes.
Rui Li: "Football's new king storms into fashion! Armani signs Su Hang to a jaw-dropping four-year, €20 million contract—what caught their eye?"
VOGUE: "The world's most handsome! Armani officially announces Su Hang as its first and only global brand ambassador!"
Watch Magazine: "Rolex lands Su Hang with a three-year, €5 million endorsement!"
Luxury Hub: "Su Hang: 'Rolex didn't offer the most money, but the clause giving me over twenty limited-edition watches a year won me over. It's hard to resist a new Rolex every two weeks.'"
The New York Times: "€20 million over three years! Pepsi signs football's top rookie Su Hang to a record-breaking endorsement! World Cup winner Su Hang has taken it all!"
Fortune: "Insider leak: Coca-Cola lost Su Hang because their non-commercial mandatory appearance requirements were six events higher than Pepsi's!"
That's right.
After becoming the "Su Emperor" this summer, Su Hang officially launched his commercial empire.
Last year, his endorsement income was just three million euros.
But don't look down on that number.
That figure was already achieved thanks to Real Madrid's platform and his family connections.
Commercial value depends entirely on how it's managed. Most football stars' commercial potential is never truly developed.
Players like Lampard, Terry, and Ferdinand only earn one or two million in endorsements.
Only highly hyped rising stars or big names nearing the twilight of their careers make slightly more.
Del Piero, Vieri, Raúl, Henry—these players might bring in three to four million, but anything beyond five million is rare.
So when evaluating a player's salary, you can't look only at sporting performance. You also have to consider the commercial revenue they generate for the club.
Take Messi—his current salary is just one million euros, but Barcelona is expected to renew his contract soon, with a jump to five million.
Cristiano Ronaldo earns 2.5 million this year, but his next contract won't be under four million.
While these superstars are still pushing back and forth between one or two million euros, Su Hang's commercial earnings have already hit the tens of millions.
A multi-year, multi-million-euro deal—broken down annually—still equals the entire endorsement income of many elite players.
With four months left in the year, Su Hang has already secured the title of football's top earner.
Media estimates suggest Beckham will comfortably exceed twenty million euros this year.
Ronaldinho might even hit thirty million.
But Su Hang has blown past every prior projection. His earnings this year won't be thirty million—they could reach forty or even fifty million.
And given how endorsement value compounds over time, next year and the year after will be even higher.
For now, Su Hang is winning big.
But according to leading financial media, the biggest endorsement of the year hasn't even been announced yet.
Deals like Armani and Rolex are huge, but they aren't strongly tied to football.
Cola brands—now those are heavily associated with sports—so their endorsement fees are sky-high.
But now, an even bigger titan has entered the arena.
Adidas and Nike.
These two sports giants sponsor nearly half of the world's clubs, national teams, and star players.
Nike has already overtaken Adidas in basketball.
Now they want another major victory in football.
Adidas, this time, refuses to take any risks.
And beyond money, these brands also influence a player's individual accolades—they are sponsors of major awards like FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or.
When Nike decided Curry wasn't going to win Finals MVP, no matter how well he played, the award went elsewhere.
They always found a way to justify it.
It doesn't matter whether Curry dominated the Finals statistically—you have to understand, the Finals MVP was originally meant for the leader of the championship team.
Debate might arise between the top two players—not the fifth.
It's like the "Three Good Students" award—you must be a student first. If you're a teacher, no matter how amazing you are, the award isn't for you.
Football, of course, is better off than basketball. Besides Adidas and Nike, brands like Puma, Umbro, and Mizuno still carry weight.
Player transfers can even be affected by these relationships.
Among superstars, Adidas has Beckham, Zidane, Del Piero, Ballack, Raúl, Kaká, and others.
Nike counters with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, along with Ibrahimović, Adriano, Henry, Rooney, Cantona, Van Nistelrooy, Roberto Carlos, and more.
Recently, Nike made a big move by signing Cristiano Ronaldo to a five-year contract worth five million euros annually.
Adidas, meanwhile, put its chips on Barcelona's young talent Messi, signing him a year early to a one-million-euro deal.
But after the World Cup, both giants shifted their attention to one man:
Su Hang.