Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo is football’s ultimate rivalry, with both the media and fans pitting the two legends against each other at every opportunity.
They might not come up against each other on the pitch in Qatar, but that won’t stop the comparisons between the two.
Back in 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo led his Portugal team to glory, as they won the European Championship with a 1-0 victory over France.
It took until 2021 for Lionel Messi to equal Ronaldo’s international trophy haul. Messi inspired his Argentina team-mates to success in the 2021 Copa America after beating arch-rivals Brazil 1-0 in their final at the Maracana.
It was Argentina's 15th continental crown but the first of Messi’s international career.
The Argentinian and Portuguese superstars are at the centre of attention yet again, with fans debating who they’d prefer to see win the competition overall.
You can back Portugal to win the World Cup at 11/1, while Argentina are available at the shorter price of 9/1.
Messi v Ronaldo: Who does the world want to see lifting the World Cup?
Pre-tournament we asked football fans whom they would prefer to win the World Cup between Messi and Ronaldo. The exact question asked was:
‘Who, if anyone, would you prefer to see win the World Cup out of Messi and Ronaldo?’
The results were as follows:
- 41.47% of fans would prefer Lionel Messi to win the World Cup over Cristiano Ronaldo
- 29.87% of supporters would prefer Cristiano Ronaldo to win the World Cup over Lionel Messi
- 12.79% didn't want either player to win the World Cup, with the remaining supporters having no preference
Which player would England supporters rather see win the World Cup?
38.05% of England fans chose the Argentinian superstar to take home the trophy over Ronaldo, while 34.51% of supporters chose the former Manchester United star.
10.62% of fans said they wouldn’t want either player to lift the World Cup.
Odds on either player to win the Golden Ball have drifted since the start of the tournament, with Messi at 7/1, while Ronaldo is now out at 25/1.
However, there could be value in Messi getting the most assists in the tournament at 10/1, whilst Ronaldo is 11/8 to be Portugal's top scorer.
The bet365 Fan Nation Survey has been powered by survey data collected from Censuswide.
Related Articles
Football
bet365 Fan Nation Survey: Fans' Most Memorable Moment in World Cup History
From Sir Geoff Hurst's iconic 1966 hat-trick goal to Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt - supporters around the world share their most memorable World Cup moments.
bet365 News Team
14 Mar 23
