News

Ronaldo Casually Cost Coke $5 Billion By Slightly Moving Some Bottles

Our man really said, ‘agua’.

by Millie Roberts  17 June 2021
Ronaldo Coke

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Cristiano Ronaldo has singlehandedly demonstrated how fragile capitalism is, with a snub against Coke that slashed the soft drink’s value by over $5 billion.

Portugal’s football captain was captured during a pre-match press conference at the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship held at London’s Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. In a video that has since gone viral, the 36-year-old susses out the scene and notices a regular and diet Coke next to his mic.

He then picks up the two beverages, slides them out of frame, before showing off a bottle of water. “Agua”, the known health nut said, which is Portuguese for H2O.

Directly after, Coca-Cola’s share price dipped from AUD$73.02 down to $71.85 — a 1.6% drop amounting to $5.2 billion.

A Euro 2020 spokesperson said that “players are offered water alongside Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar on arrival at our press conferences”.

Similarly, Coca-Cola said “everyone is entitled to their drink preferences” and has “different tastes and needs”.

His provocative move was followed by French footballer, and practicing Muslim, Paul Pogba, who moved a beer bottle off his table not realising it was a non-alcoholic variant.

Italy’s Manuel Locatelli also copied Ronaldo’s stunt with more of the soft drink bottles. Both Coke and Heineken are official sponsors of the Euro 2020.

Given the Coca-Cola Company also owns the second-largest bottled water company in the world, and saw a near 60% increase in ‘agua’ sales last year, they’ll be bouncing back just fine.