Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Preference for football stars reflects political identity in study with 10 thousand participants
An enduring football rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo transcends fields and statistics, new research reveals. A survey of more than 10,000 participants from 26 nations, including Brazil, indicated that political affiliation is the strongest element in defining a preference for one of the stars: individuals with left-wing ideologies showed a greater inclination towards Messi, while the most conservative opted for Cristiano Ronaldo.
In-depth analysis of research on identity and sport
Entitled “Political Identity Beyond Politics”, the study was developed by professors and researchers from the renowned universities of Nanyang, in Singapore, and Carlos III, in Spain. The central premise is that contemporary political and cultural polarization is not restricted to electoral debates, but extends to different areas, such as the choice of sports idols or the preference for certain lifestyles.
For those responsible for the study, the competition between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo represents a “cultural stimulus” of global reach. Both players enjoy international fame, have similar professional trajectories and vast public recognition. The survey suggests that Messi is often linked to a more reserved, family-oriented image focused on team spirit, while Cristiano Ronaldo is seen as a symbol of individuality, self-confidence and an incessant quest for excellence. It is important to highlight that the investigation analyzes the public perception of athletes, not their intrinsic personal qualities. Furthermore, it is worth remembering that Cristiano Ronaldo, with his quest for records, set the mark of 17 goals in a single edition of the UEFA Champions League in the 2013-2014 season, a feat that highlights this facet of individual overcoming.
Lionel Messi’s public persona, often associated with great feats and historic moments in global football, continues to influence the admiration of millions. This perception is a relevant factor in analyzing how fans connect with the player.
In addition to political ideology, several other elements contributed to elucidating the interviewees’ inclinations. Individuals who demonstrated greater support for authoritarian behaviors, who had high self-esteem and who frequently consumed short news videos tended to choose Cristiano Ronaldo as their favorite. On the other hand, “cognitive reflection”, defined as a more considered and analytical way of thinking, proved to be a less expressive indicator for the preference for Messi. Factors such as empathy, traditional media consumption habits, isolated age, gender, educational level, socioeconomic status and political interest did not reveal a marked influence on the main analysis model.
The correlation between political choices and the predilection for athletes was more evident in the younger and middle-aged age groups, decreasing in intensity among the older segments of the population. As the authors explain, this generational influence manifested itself particularly in the ideological sphere, and not in the other factors researched, such as self-esteem, authoritarian tendencies or the consumption of video content. The inference is that the link between political identity and cultural tastes is accentuated in generations that grew up in contexts of intense polarization.
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Methodology applied in international survey
Data collection for the study took place between April and May 2026, using the Qualtrics online platform. Quota sampling was applied in several nations, covering six continents, with the participation of countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, United States, United Kingdom, France, China, India, Nigeria, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Turkey and South Africa. Each individual evaluated Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on a scale of 1 to 7, ranging from “extremely unfavorable” to “highly favorable”. The disparity between the scores assigned to both players was used to determine relative preference.
Global panorama of preference among the countries studied
Of the 26 countries that participated in the survey, 19 demonstrated statistically significant preference distinctions. Eight of these nations leaned towards Messi: South Korea, Argentina, Finland, Spain, the United Kingdom, Norway, the United States and Canada. Eleven countries have already shown an inclination for Cristiano Ronaldo: Nigeria, India, France, China, Singapore, Portugal, Malaysia, Egypt, Mexico, Turkey and Indonesia. In seven other nations, including Brazil, there was no notable difference, signaling a technical balance in the assessment of both football icons.
Cultural diversity and the passion of fans are intrinsic elements to football, demonstrating how the sport can mobilize and create narratives that go beyond the four lines of the field.
The most significant results were observed in South Korea and Argentina. In the Argentine scenario, the strong support for Messi boosted the outcome. In South Korea, as pointed out by the researchers, the preference was mainly due to the comparatively lower evaluation attributed to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The research also highlighted a peculiar asymmetry, called the “house effect”. While the Argentines rated Messi significantly better than Ronaldo, the Portuguese, although preferring Cristiano, did so by a smaller margin. Portugal, in fact, did not stand out as the nation most favorable to Ronaldo in the sample; countries such as Indonesia, Türkiye, Mexico, Egypt and Malaysia showed an even more pronounced inclination towards the Portuguese player. This data leads researchers to consider that national predilection transcends the mere connection with an athlete of the same origin.
Interestingly, the position of the national team in the FIFA rankings did not prove to be an explanatory factor for the general preference for Messi or Cristiano between countries. Although the liberal democracy index presented an association in line with scholars’ expectations, it did not reach standard statistical significance, a fact that the authors partially attribute to the restricted number of nations included in this specific comparison.
Analysis of the Brazilian scenario in the study
The perception of the 405 Brazilian participants consulted revealed a panorama of national division. The average score given to Cristiano Ronaldo was 5.82, while Messi obtained 5.80, a difference considered statistically insignificant. In the relative preference classification, Brazil was positioned in 12th place, between the Philippines and Australia, fitting into the group of countries where there was no marked preference for either of the two football stars.
However, in the Brazilian context, there is an important methodological caveat. In a secondary test, which used a forced-choice scale, Brazil exhibited a slight bias towards Cristiano Ronaldo. However, in the main evaluation tests and also in the non-parametric analysis, the disparity in preference in the country did not reach statistical significance. The researchers point out that these small variations were concentrated at modest magnitudes, below 0.15.
