A new international study led by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore researchers found that people’s favourite football star may be linked to their political ideology, among others. The online survey, which involved 10,661 respondents from 26 countries, found that people who identified as politically liberal were more likely to favour Messi, while those with more conservative views tended to prefer Ronaldo. 👉 https://tsl.to/messironaldontustudy @mustsharenews   The international study you shared provides a fascinating look into how popular culture and political identity intersect. Led by Associate Professor Saifuddin Ahmed from NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, the study collected data from **10,661 respondents across 26 countries**.   Here are the full, detailed breakdown of the findings, explaining why these connections exist and how different countries voted.   ### 1. The Core Split: Politics & Public Personas   The study found a distinct correlation between a person's self-reported political ideology and their preferred football icon, which researchers attribute to the specific values the two athletes project:    * **Liberals Lean Toward Messi:** Respondents who identified as politically liberal were more likely to favor Lionel Messi. The researchers note that Messi projects a quieter, humble, and team-oriented public image that resonates with liberal values.    * **Conservatives Lean Toward Ronaldo:** Those with more conservative views tended to prefer Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo openly expresses intense ambition, individualism, and a celebration of personal achievement—qualities that often align with conservative ideologies.    * *The Age Factor:* This political alignment is **strongest among younger respondents** and weakens significantly among older adults.   ### 2. Country-by-Country Preferences   The 26 surveyed nations spanned six continents. Interestingly, a country's actual football ranking (FIFA rank) had no impact on who they preferred. The breakdown revealed: | Team Ronaldo (11 Countries) | Team Messi (8 Countries) | No Clear Preference (7 Countries) | |---|---|---| | • **Singapore** • Malaysia • Indonesia • Philippines • Portugal (Home country) • Turkey • Egypt • Nigeria • South Africa • India • China | • Argentina (Home country) • South Korea • United States • Canada • United Kingdom • France • Germany • Netherlands | • Spain • Brazil • Mexico • Japan • Australia • Norway • Finland |   > **The South Korea Anomaly:**S outh Korea recorded the strongest relative preference for Messi out of any country surveyed—even beating Messi's home country of Argentina. However, researchers noted this was actually due to deep public dislike for Ronaldo. It stems from a infamous 2019 exhibition match in Seoul where fans paid to see Ronaldo play, but he spent the entire match on the bench. It was the only country where Ronaldo scored below a 4 out of 7 on the favorability scale. >  ### 3. Psychology and Self-Esteem   Beyond politics, the researchers tracked how psychological traits influenced preferences, discovering that **people with higher self-esteem favored Ronaldo**. While you might think people with high self-esteem would value modesty, psychological self-affirmation research suggests the opposite. People with high self-esteem are drawn to highly dominant, deeply confident, and aspirational public figures because they see their own drive for excellence and self-assurance mirrored in those figures.   ### 4. Media Habits & News Consumption   Finally, the study analyzed *how* people get their information and found a link to social media habits:  * **Short-Form Video Users Favor Ronaldo:** Respondents who get the majority of their daily news from short-form video platforms like **TikTok and Instagram** heavily favored Ronaldo.    * **Why?** Ronaldo has a massive, meticulously curated, and visually dominant social media presence (he is the most followed individual on Instagram). Audiences on these platforms are exposed to his highly polished, aspirational lifestyle loop much more freque ntly, strengthening their affinity for him.

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