‘A scam!’ – Cristiano Ronaldo faces online embarrassment

Cristiano Ronaldo has come under fire on social media for promoting Herbalife.

The Al-Nassr superstar is arguably the most recognisable figure in sports today and, as such, is not only one of the best-paid footballers on the planet but also possesses one of the largest individual brands.

Ronaldo frequently stars in advertisements and companies regularly employ his services to promote their products. It’s a standard procedure for celebrities, influencers and sports stars, and Ronaldo is no different.

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There are, however, certain rules that need to be adhered to when advertising a product on one’s social channels. For one, the promotional post needs to be marked as such.

There is no clear line of distinction – or at the very least it is subjective – between a personal opinion of a product and a paid promotion, hence why such content needs to be clearly marked as an ad.

Ronaldo criticised for Herbalife sponsorship

Ronaldo, however, has now come under fire for not only failing to mark his latest promotional post with the usual #ad but also for promoting a ‘scam.’

On Thursday, Ronaldo’s social accounts published two pictures of the Portuguese megastar promoting Herbalife’s ‘Formula 1’ shake. “A good way to start the day? A healthy breakfast. Herbalife Formula 1 delivers a balanced mix of protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals,” the post read.

On X, Ronaldo faced the ignominy of being hit with a Community Note, chastising him for failing to mark the post as an advertisement. Moreover, Herbalife is a company that is not particularly popular and faces accusations of operating a pyramid scheme and actively harming consumers.

“Herbalife is a multilevel marketing corporation, Ronaldo is being paid for the promotional post, he should have marked the post as an ad,” the Community Note read.

Fans also didn’t take too kindly to Ronaldo’s post. One simply wrote on X: “Herbalife is a scam.” Another questioned whether “there was nothing better to advertise than Herbalife?” On Instagram, someone wrote: “You don’t drink that sh*t.”

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Hepatologist TheLiverDoc explained the matter in detail: “Herbalife is a multilevel marketing pyramid scheme company which manufactures low quality mixed protein made from pea and soy and includes other dangerous botanicals, all the while charging consumers like they’re selling Swarovski diamonds.

“There are far more, better protein supplements in the market that consumers can spend money on, definitely not Herbalife… Because Herbalife products are also, infamously associated with the highest documented liver injury and liver failure cases in the world among all protein supplements.

“No other BS company has even come close to what Herbalife products have achieved when it comes to harming consumers. Ronaldo may or may not know this, but his breakfast definitely DOES NOT involve Herbalife products and this is just a paid (I wonder how much!) promotion for the company…”

He concluded: “Even the people you place high on a high pedestal are sometimes deprived of ethics and morality when it comes to healthcare and health literacy when money talks.”