Cristiano Ronaldo Told 2.3 Million People WHOOP Speaks Arabic Now

The most famous wrist in sports

When the most-followed athlete on the planet posts about a fitness band, people look.

On Friday, he did exactly that.

What's happening

On October 16, Ronaldo posted on X: “.@WHOOP, now available in Arabic.” As of Monday morning, X’s public metrics showed about 2.37 million impressions and 64,600 likes. Those numbers keep changing.

Ronaldo isn’t a neutral fan. WHOOP announced a global partnership with him in May 2024 that made him an investor and ambassador.

The post promotes WHOOP’s Arabic launch, which the company announced on October 13 in Dubai. WHOOP says it fully redesigned its app in Arabic so members can see sleep, recovery, strain and health insights in Arabic for the first time, backed by a campaign across the GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council countries).

WHOOP also says its GCC membership is up more than 75% year over year. That’s the company’s own figure. It says it has a dedicated UAE office and that WHOOP Qatar will open its first research and development facility outside Boston “later this year.” WHOOP is the official wearable of Al Nassr, Ronaldo’s club, and the launch is part of a partnership with Mubadala, which invested in WHOOP’s Series G.

“The GCC has become a major market for us,” founder and CEO Will Ahmed said in the release. “Launching in Arabic is a crucial part of that strategy.”

When Ronaldo posts, a wearable gets a new market.The WellWham perspective

Our read: celebrity reach is the real product launch

This is our analysis. For U.S. readers, an Arabic app isn’t a new feature. The story is how WHOOP uses star power to grow in a market it’s betting big on. One post from a paid ambassador with a huge following can do what a billboard campaign can’t.

That’s also why the disclosure matters. Reach isn’t proof a product works. It’s proof the marketing does.

The reality check

WHOOP’s release also cites research on how daily wearers exercise and sleep more. Those are WHOOP’s claims, and a celebrity post doesn’t add evidence. If you’re thinking about a WHOOP, judge it on features and price, not on who’s wearing it.

The close

Ronaldo has scored plenty of goals.

This one was for his sponsor.

Sources