Lionel Messi may have edged Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of money, but the Portuguese got the better of the Barcelona icon when it came to being the ‘most admired sportsman’ in the world. YouGov has released their annual list of the most admired people in the world and Ronaldo ranks higher than Messi yet again. This would bring a lot of cheer for Ronaldo fans, who have not got a lot to cherish about – in terms of titles. Messi too has gone through a rough time lately, with his transfer rumours taking centrestage.
But, it seems Ronaldo – who recently became the second footballer in the history of the game to score 100 international goals – is the most loved player in the world. While Ronaldo is in the sixth spot, Messi finds himself at 11.
Interestingly, YouGov also compared the Juve star and six-time Ballon D’Or-winner rank in different countries with the Portuguese more admired in 32 of the 42 countries and territories surveyed – which is a surprise considering their rankings.
According to the list, former US President Barack Obama continues to rule the hearts and finds himself in the numero uno spot. He is followed by Bill Gates and Xi Jinping.
From an Indian point of view, Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes the fourth spot, while skipper of the national cricket team, Virat Kohli – who is currently leading the RCB side in the IPL in UAE – is in the 16th spot and is the most admired Indian sportsman.
While Messi will leave Barcelona to join the Argentina national team for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Ronaldo will be playing the Serie A for the Turin side.
