Cristiano Ronaldo

Beverage Makers Mocked After Soccer Stars Ronaldo, Pogba Snub Drinks

While online conversation noted that Coca-Cola’s share price fell Monday and attributed it to the global soccer star’s actions, there was no real indication that the actions had affected the stock price

Cristiano Ronaldo
UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

Coca-Cola and Heineken are getting tackled on social media after two soccer stars slid bottles from the sponsors away from themselves during separate press conferences.

Ahead of Portugal's opening game at the Euro 2020, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo was caught on camera as he moved the soft drinks away from him. He then held up a bottle of water and said "agua." Later, French midfielder Paul Pogba, a Muslim, removed a bottle of Heineken beer from him during a press conference.

Clips of both incidents shot around social media, drawing some praise for the soccer stars’ gestures. But while conversation noted that Coca-Cola’s share price fell Monday and attributed it to Ronaldo's actions, there was no real indication that his gesture had affected the stock price.

Coca-Cola did not respond directly to a request for comment, but instead pointed NBC News to a statement from European soccer's governing body, UEFA, which said the company offered "a range of drinks to suit different tastes and needs, which are available to players throughout the tournament."

A spokesperson for Heineken, meanwhile, said in an email, "We fully respect everyone's decision when it comes to their beverage of choice."


CORRECTION (June 17, 2021, 4:18 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article incorrectly stated Ronaldo’s gesture eliminated $4 billion from Coca-Cola’s stock valuation. The company's stock price, however, had begun to dip even before the gesture, and there is no evidence of a causal relationship between the gesture and the stock price.

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