Messi vs Ronaldo: What Your G.O.A.T. Choice Says About Your Personality, Political Views And Self-Esteem, Study Finds

Published 30 June 2026 · sports

Messi vs Ronaldo: What Your G.O.A.T. Choice Says About Your Personality, Political Views And Self-Esteem, Study Finds Written By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 17:11

Messi vs Ronaldo: What Your G.O.A.T. Choice Says About Your Personality, Political Views And Self-Esteem, Study Finds Written By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 17:11 IST The international study suggests that choosing between the two football icons may be linked to factors such as political ideology, self-esteem and even the way you consume news. Rapid Read The research by NTU Singapore found a clear pattern: individuals identifying as more liberal tend to favor Lionel Messi, while those leaning conservative often prefer Cristiano Ronaldo. For nearly two decades, one question has divided football fans, sparked endless social media wars and even tested friendships: Messi or Ronaldo? Whether you’re passionately defending Lionel Messi’s effortless brilliance or Cristiano Ronaldo’s relentless drive, chances are you’ve had this debate more than once. For years, fans have argued over stats, trophies, and playing styles. But a major international study reveals that your choice of GOAT (Greatest of All Time) might say more about you than just your taste in football—it could reflect your political ideology, self-esteem, and even how you consume news, telling more about your preference, personality and even your political outlook. A new international study led by researchers at Nanyang Technological University suggests that choosing between the two football icons may be linked to factors such as political ideology, self-esteem and even the way you consume news.

While the findings do not imply that football preferences determine political beliefs or personality, they offer an intriguing glimpse into how our identities may subtly shape our everyday choices. Messi Vs Ronaldo? What Your Favourite Football Icon Choice Reflects Conducted by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore and involving over 10,000 respondents across 26 countries, the research found a clear pattern: individuals identifying as more liberal tend to favor Lionel Messi, while those leaning conservative often prefer Cristiano Ronaldo. This connection is particularly pronounced among younger adults and weakens with age. Messi is often perceived as the quiet, humble, team-oriented genius qualities that resonate with collaborative, progressive values. Ronaldo, on the other hand, embodies bold individualism, relentless ambition, and unapologetic celebration of personal success, traits that align with more conservative ideals of merit and self-reliance. As Associate Professor Saifuddin Ahmed of NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information noted, people are drawn to public figures whose personas mirror their broader worldview. This isn’t just about football. It highlights how political identity increasingly shapes everyday cultural choices, from entertainment to sports fandom, extending far beyond traditional American contexts. Self-Esteem Beyond politics, self-esteem plays a significant role. The study discovered that respondents with higher self-esteem are more likely to favor Ronaldo. This aligns with psychological research on self-affirmation—individuals who feel confident may identify strongly with dominant, high-achieving figures whose success reinforces their own positive self-image.