Barcelona FC's Lionel Messi received the most media coverage of any football player for the fourth straight year, according to a study conducted by the University of Navarra in northern Spain. Media Economic Professor Francesc Pujol conducted the seventh annual study on the value of media coverage in football and revealed that Messi received a score of 28.8 points. That score means the Argentine star appeared in the news almost 29 more times than the average footballer that participated in the Champions League. The Argentinian was followed by Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Didier Drogba of Chelsea who had respective scores of 20.7 and 12.4. The study also revealed that Barcelona and Real Madrid had the highest media value of any club during the '11-12 campaign. Barca received a score of 103 and Real Madrid a 79.5. European Champions Chelsea followed with a 63. Pujol explained that football is unrivaled when it comes to media coverage. Pujol: "What is undeniable is that football is the sport that generates the largest media impact in the Spanish press and globally" (Universidad De Navarra).
