A new study has claimed that your response to one of football’s biggest debates can reveal more than just your sporting preferences.
Researchers found that people who prefer Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi tend to have more liberal political views, while those who favor Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo are more likely to lean toward the conservative side. The findings were based on a survey of 10,661 respondents in 26 countries.
The study, titled 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 strongest predictor of whether a person preferred Messi or Ronaldo, even after taking into account factors such as age, demographics, personality traits, media consumption habits and cognitive ability.
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-form video news consumption were associated with greater support for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
For the uninitiated, Messi and Ronaldo have dominated world football for almost two decades, winning multiple Ballon d’Or awards and dividing fans into rival camps over who deserves the title of greatest footballer of all time.
According to the researchers, the connection between political beliefs and football preferences was more pronounced among younger respondents. The effect gradually weakened with age and became statistically insignificant among older age groups.
The study does not suggest that all Messi fans are liberal or that all Ronaldo fans are conservative. Instead, the researchers said the findings reflected broader statistical trends seen in the countries surveyed.
Neither Messi nor Ronaldo have commented publicly on the investigation.
