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They are currently two of the football’s greatest names. Both have mesmerised fans across the globe with their magical touches and passes for years now. Lionel Messi, 38, and Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, are appearing in their sixth and final FIFA World Cup being held in the US, Canada and Mexico, and the fans are divided once again.

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While the Argentina star has a World Cup in his kitty and recently became the highest scorer in World Cups with a tally of 18, Ronaldo owns the rare record of scoring in six World Cups and taking the final shot at matching his rival’s 2022 title.

Political views behind support for Messi or Ronaldo?

As the football world gets sharply divided during the month-long tournament in the Western Hemisphere, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) recently came up with an interesting study. According to it, football skill is not the only criterion that shapes people’s loyalty to these two players. An individual’s political views may also decide which side of the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry they favour. Across countries, Ronaldo was rated more favourably in 11 markets, including Singapore, while Messi led in eight. Seven countries showed no statistically significant preference for either player.

The international survey, which was held in April and May and included more than 10,000 respondents across 26 nations, including India, saw people identified as more liberal tended to back the Argentina legend, while those more conservative were inclined towards the Portuguese. However, this polarisation is seen more in younger respondents than among adults.

According to Associate Professor Saifuddin Ahmed of NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, who spearheaded the study, the survey’s findings go beyond football. He said the two footballers have “markedly different public personas”.

‘Messi quieter, Ronaldo expressive’

“Messi is commonly associated with a quieter, team-oriented image, while Ronaldo is known for openly expressing his ambition and celebrating individual achievement. People may be more drawn to the player whose public image aligns with their broader values,” he said.

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“They offer a starting point for examining how political identity may increasingly intersect with popular culture and everyday choices in different societies,” Ahmed added.

Researchers found that people who consumed more news via short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram tended to prefer Ronaldo, likely due to his strong visual social media presence. Those with higher self-esteem also favoured Ronaldo, consistent with self-affirmation research, suggesting that confident individuals may be drawn to aspirational, dominant figures whose achievements align with their positive self-perception.

South Korea loves Messi more than his own country

Messi earned higher average ratings in Argentina, several Western European nations, the United States, Canada, and South Korea, the findings said. South Korea showed the strongest relative preference for Messi, even more than his own country. This was though driven more by unusually low Ronaldo ratings than exceptional enthusiasm for Messi — the only surveyed country where Ronaldo averaged below four on the seven-point scale.

Also read: Ronaldo returns with brace, sets new milestone; World Cup of titans begins

Researchers attributed this partly to lingering resentment over an exhibition match in Seoul in 2019, where Ronaldo failed to appear despite being the headline attraction. He rated more strongly across North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Neither FIFA rankings nor national loyalty explained the country-level differences.

The 26 countries surveyed are Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.

Ronaldo, Messi and sensitive issues

As is often the case with many high-profile figures, both Messi and Ronaldo found their names associated with politically sensitive issues. However, most of them were found to be false stories. For example, it was once claimed that Ronaldo donated $1.5 million to Palestinians in Gaza during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. The footballer’s management company later confirmed to AFP that it was not true.

Messi, too, faced a similar situation. One story goes that he refused to play against “people who kill innocent Palestinian children” after the cancellation of a friendly match between Argentina and Israel in 2018. However, it could not be established that the star footballer made such a remark.

The two legends have maintained a neutral stance when it comes to sensitive issues.