Messi or Ronaldo? Your political ideology may be linked to the answer, NTU Singapore-led international survey finds
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Messi or Ronaldo? Your political ideology may be linked to the answer, NTU Singapore-led international survey finds

19/06/2026 Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Self-esteem and short-form video news consumption were also associated with player preference

Whether someone prefers Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo – arguably two of the world’s greatest footballers in the game today – may be associated with their political outlook, according to an international survey led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore).

The online survey of more than 10,000 respondents across 26 countries[1] found that people who identified as more liberal tended to favour Messi, while those who identified as more conservative tended to favour Ronaldo. However, this link is strongest among younger respondents and weakens substantially in older adulthood.

At the country level, respondents in 11 countries, including Singapore, rated Ronaldo more favourably on average. Respondents in eight countries favoured Messi, while seven countries showed no statistically clear preference between the two players (See chart below in

19/06/2026 Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Regions: Asia, Singapore, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Latin America, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Oceania, Australia, North America, Canada, United States, Middle East, Egypt, Europe, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, Africa, Nigeria, South Africa
Keywords: Society, Leisure & sport, Politics, Psychology, World Cup, Social Sciences

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