A new study claims your answer to one of football’s biggest debates could reveal more than just your sporting preference.
Researchers found that people who prefer Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi tend to have more liberal political views, while those who prefer Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo are more likely to be conservative. The results are based on a survey of 10,661 people in 26 countries.
The study, entitled Political identity beyond politics: the Messi-Ronaldo preference in 26 countrieswas carried out by researchers from universities in Singapore and Spain.
According to the authors, political ideology emerged as the best indicator of a person’s preference for Messi or Ronaldo, even after taking into account factors such as age, demographics, personality traits, media consumption habits and cognitive abilities.
The researchers found that individuals with more liberal views were generally more likely to favor Messi, while conservative respondents tended to prefer Ronaldo.
They also reported that higher levels of authoritarianism, self-esteem and short video news consumption were associated with stronger support for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
For those unfamiliar, Messi and Ronaldo dominated world football for almost two decades, winning multiple Ballon d’Ors and dividing fans into rival camps over who deserves the title of greatest footballer of all time.
According to the researchers, the link between political beliefs and football preferences was more pronounced among the young people surveyed. The effect gradually attenuated with age and became statistically insignificant among older groups.
The study does not suggest that all Messi fans are liberal or that all Ronaldo fans are conservative. Instead, the researchers said the results reflected broader statistical trends observed in the countries studied.
Neither Messi nor Ronaldo have publicly commented on this research.
