Coca-Cola market value drops by $4B after Cristiano Ronaldo removes soda from press conference
Putting soda in front of one of the world's best athletes probably isn't a good idea.
Coca-Cola learned that the hard way after Cristiano Ronaldo removed two bottles of the popular soda as he sat down to meet with the media on Monday in Budapest before Portugal's Euro 2020 Group F opener against Hungary.
Ronaldo looked troubled when he saw Coca-Cola in front of him and moved the glass bottles out of the camera frame. He held up a bottle of water instead.
According to ESPN's Adriana Garcia, Ronaldo's removal of the Coca-Cola bottles caused the company's market value to drop by $4 billion.
Coca-Cola later responded in a statement, saying that "everyone is entitled to their drink preferences" with different "tastes and needs." A Euro 2020 spokesperson added that without support from brands like Coca-Cola, "we could not organise a tournament with such success for players and fans, nor invest in the future of football at all levels."
After watching Ronaldo move the soda out of the camera frame, France midfielder Paul Pogba removed a bottle of Heineken beer that was in front of him at a news conference following France's 1-0 win over Germany on Tuesday.
Other athletes around the world also took note of Ronaldo's gesture, including seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, who wouldn't be caught dead drinking Coca-Cola.
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