BES’ relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo dates back to 2003, when he joined the Manchester United as one of youngest and most promising among the Portuguese football stars playing abroad, and long before all his later titles and prizes.

This was a strategic bet to use football as a vehicle for communication and brand building, banking on the 2004 European Championship and on the growing popularity enjoyed by this game within the Portuguese society.

Today, Cristiano Ronaldo and BES share values such as top performance, competence, success, inclusiveness and Portugueseness. It shouldn’t therefore come as a surprise that BES’ brand is the most associated to the player.

In 2009 BES renewed its sponsorship contract with Cristiano Ronaldo for another two years (2009/10). The new agreement guarantees the use of the player’s image to the exclusion of all other brands in Portugal, while in Spain it guarantees exclusiveness within the financial sector.

Having associated itself to the most valuable Portuguese brand today and with the greatest international projection, BES is now reaping the fruits of a risky and visionary bet.