The detailed study, which is published annually by Madrid's University of Navarra, listed Cristiano Ronaldo as football's most marketable name, followed by his United teammate Wayne Rooney.

Barcelona's Ronaldinho has dropped from No1 to No3, followed by LA Galaxy's new signing David Beckham and AC Milan striker Ronaldo, who rounds out the top 5.

In terms of club rankings, Manchester United's Premiership triumph sees them again as the world's most talked about club, followed by English rivals Chelsea, then Barcelona and finally Real Madrid, which were rated first 12 months ago.