In October 1996, Ronaldo Nazário, then 20 years old, made an out-of-this-world move. Barcelona’s game against Compostela, considered a weak team, was already 4-1. But the Brazilian, dissatisfied, decided to score the fifth goal after dribbling past five players.
The result? In addition to the rout, the nickname “extraterrestrial” given by the Spanish media, according to Jorge Caldeira, author of the player’s unauthorized biography. Almost 30 years later, the joke became an advertising piece.
The Chinese electrolyte drink “Waixingren”, or extraterrestrial in Portuguese, chose the Brazilian star to star in its advertisement broadcast on television and other platforms in the country during the 2026 World Cup. The motto “extraterrestrial drinks extraterrestrial water” is accompanied by Ronaldo’s version in the 2002 World Cup, when his physique was different and his haircut was different.
To achieve the old look, the brand confirmed the use of artificial intelligence and signaled to users that the images were generated with the help of technology through a small stripe on the film.
The Brazilian is part of a series of athletes who star in advertising campaigns in China during the World Cup, even without the country’s team qualifying. Names like Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé are also among those who star in the plays.
In Neymar’s case, he became the poster boy for “Ran Bu Shui” electrolyte water and even went live to sell products. In early March, the Santos player appeared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, wearing a traditional Chinese jacket, and broadcast live.
According to the Sina platform, one of the main business vehicles in China, the player’s live stream generated 5,000 orders, totaling 750,000 yuan (around R$575,000) in sales.
Having Brazilian football players starring in campaigns in China is nothing new. In 2022, during the World Cup in Qatar, Neymar himself participated in a campaign for the dairy brand Yili, joining the team of players who starred in the company’s advertising campaigns.
He also became a global ambassador for the electronics brand TCL in 2018, signing a contract that had an announced duration of two years. At the time, the player launched the “Born a Legend” campaign, which ran in several countries.
The Brazilian team is also a global partner of the brand, while the player Rodrygo is another global ambassador.
Ronaldinho Gaúcho also had his moment in Chinese advertisements, with appearances since 2006, when he became Lenovo’s global poster boy — leaving aside other names mentioned at the time, such as David Beckham, according to the Chinese press.
The player was part of the company’s global campaigns for advertisements for notebooks and desktops from the Chinese manufacturer.
Other global brands, such as Pepsi and Nike, had the player starring in campaigns that also aired in China. In addition to the advertisements, Ronaldinho participated in actions in the country, such as in 2024, when he attended the final of a street football tournament in Qingdao that had a charitable objective.
