Roc Nation Sports International's Michael Yormark on Vini Jr for the Ballon d'Or, balancing charity with promotion and his dream client

Our guest on a recent Footballco Business Podcast was president of Roc Nation Sports International (RNSI), Michael R. Yormark . Michael joined us to discuss the agency's growth over the past five years, its role in Jay-Z's wider Roc Nation business, US talent and the agency's highest-profile footballer, Vini Jr.

In this edition of the Footballco Business Podcast newsletter, we're featuring three highlights from the show, covering Michael's pitch for Vini Jr to win this year's Ballon d'Or, whether players should promote their charity work, and who Michael would pick as his dream client.

To listen to the show in full, search 'Footballco' wherever you get your podcasts or click the image below.

Vini for the Ballon d'Or

In July last year, RNSI acquired Brazilian football agency TFM. TFM represents more than 100 footballers, including Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli and Real Madrid's Endrick and Vini Jr. With Vini Jr now on the RNSI books, it should come as no surprise that the Real Marid number seven is Michael's choice for this year's Ballon d'Or.

Despite stiff competition from Vini Jr's club-mate Jude Bellingham, Michael made a strong case for why the Brazilian should lift this year's trophy and why individual awards have a place in football.

When I think about the Ballon d 'Or, or any individual award, the MVP of the NBA, whatever it may be, it's a by-product of what you accomplish as a team. So while it's an individual award, it is a by-product of how good a teammate you are, how hard you work, and the influence that you have on the club that you play for.

 In Vini's case, and I know you mentioned that it's a close, tight race for this Ballon d'Or, I probably don't see it the same way. If there's one player that plays big in the biggest moments, it's Vinicius Jr. Look what he's done over last couple of years. Look what he's done over last 12 months. Look at the significant goals and impact that he's made in the biggest matches.

That is indicative of the best player in the world. And so without a doubt, this man deserves the Ballon d 'Or. As it relates to how that will amplify his marketability, of course, when you have a Ballon d 'Or trophy and you have that distinction as a Ballon d 'Or winner, it can only help. But again, Vinny's not playing for individual awards. That award is a by-product of him being a great leader, a great teammate, and someone that plays big in the biggest moments.

'Tooting Your Own Horn'

Vini Jr's accomplishments over the past 12 months are well documented. With Real Madrid, he's won LaLiga, the Supercopa de Espana, and the Champions League trophy, as well as being named the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season. 

Less documented is his charity work. The Instituto Vini Jr. aims to use technology and sport to educate young Brazilians and, ultimately, alleviate some of the education-related inequality in the country. Having recently returned from a fundraising dinner in Sao Paulo, Michael discussed the impact that a player of Vini's profile can have on fund-raising. However, there's a fine line between raising awareness for charity and it having a greater impact on a player's own profile.

 There is a balance. And as you know, I work with high-profile athletes and artists all over the world. One of the things that I remind them about giving is that when you give, you need to amplify it. Why? Because it inspires others to give. It's not just about tooting your own horn or building your own brand. It's about showing other celebrities and other individuals how to give and the impact of giving. In Vini's case, he's inspiring other people to give.

There were so many incredible athletes and celebrities at his event in Rio. And all of them, all of them contributed to the success of that night because they were inspired and motivated by what Vini was doing. So again, no athlete, no celebrity, no giver should be concerned about tooting their own horn. They should talk about their giving to inspire others to give.

The GOAT of a Client

With many high-profile players on the RNSI books, we closed our interview by asking Michael which player no longer playing football wishes he could have signed to the agency. Perhaps influenced by the number of Brazilian wonder-kids already part of RNSI, he chose arguably the biggest player to wear the colours of the Seleção.

 The first thing that comes to my mind is Pele. Obviously, he's no longer living. May he rest in peace. But as I've spent a lot of time in Brazil over the last 12 months, speaking to our new partner, Fred Pena and his partners, the influence that Pele had in Brazil and. around the world was absolutely incredible. Not only was he a great footballer, but he was a guy that inspired and motivated the next generation of great talent coming out of Brazil. He also knew the importance of marketing and promotion. He was a great player, but off the field, he had tremendous success in the commercial space. And so if I could rewind the clock and we could have had an opportunity to work with Pele, boy, would that have been special.

Marketability can be difficult to quantify. An athlete’s ability to sell shirts and rack up likes on

social media, while certainly important, are not a universal currency for deciding who is the

most commercially attractive soccer player on the planet.

Roc Nation Sports has some of the game’s biggest talents on its roster, including Ballon 'Or

favourite Vinicius Junior, Belgian ace Kevin De Bruyne and Brazilian wonderkid Endrick.

Top performances on the pitch will continue to boost their earning prospects, but Yormark

believes prospective commercial partners also want to work with athletes who stand for

something. In the case of Vinicius Junior, the 24-year-old’s Vini Jr Institute supports education initiatives in Brazil. The Real Madrid star has also spoken out after suffering racist abuse and vowed to help tackle the problem.

Soccer’s elite stars will never be short of endorsement deals, but the players who are champions of change are also likely to attract commercial attention. After all, authenticity and marketability go hand in hand.

According to Yormark, Roc Nation is focused on “making dreams come true”. That means

getting to the heart of a client’s goals and objectives – something he says other European

agencies fail to ask.

With the 2026 Fifa World Cup being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, it is set to

turbocharge even more interest in soccer across the region. Roc Nation hopes to have

multiple players on its books starting for the US national team in three years’ time and wants

to sign more American talent ahead of the tournament. If the World Cup takes the sport to another level in the States, and Roc Nation continues to double down in its home market, the agency is on course to be the leading light when it comes to representing North America’s next wave of highly marketable soccer stars.