Is Ronaldo really not that famous in America?

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BreakfastBeerz@reddit

The only time I see or hear of him is in this subreddit.

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CinemaSideBySides@reddit

Same. And I think there's more than one famous soccer Ronaldo which makes these threads more confusing.

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CinemaSideBySides@reddit

I know he's a soccer player, that's it. And it took me reading your post description to even get there, since referring to him as simply "Ronaldo" wasn't enough to trigger my memory.

I've heard of Messi and Ronaldo and I know they're soccer players, but who is more famous or who they play for or where they're from, no idea.

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He’s somewhat known even by non soccer fans. If an average American were able to name 1-2 international soccer players he and Messi would probably come up the most. Though many might not know him at all.

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Working_Elephant5344@reddit

It’s that soccer is very unpopular in the US, so Americans are unlikely to recognize players.

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brzantium@reddit

I only know who he is because I lived in Portugal for a minute.

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

Eh. Not really.

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

Youd have to be living under a rock to not know who Ronaldo is

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brzantium@reddit

I would agree that he likely has millions of fans here...out of hundreds of millions of people that live here.

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chickengruggets@reddit

Errr. Who is he lol.

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

Top 2 most popular player in the world's most popular sport for the last 2 decades

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

Top 2 most popular player in the world's most popular sport for the last 2 decades

.....he's the 2nd most popular player in sport that is only the 5th most popular here.

Not only that, but he doesn't play in a league that is covered at all in the US. Some European leagues we at least have on TV.

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

He had 2 decades of prominence playing dor some of the most popular teams in Europe before going to Saudi Arabia

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von_sip@reddit

That means next to nothing to the average American

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

Average American has heard of teams like Manchester United and Real Madrid

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von_sip@reddit

Have you seen the replies in this thread? Americans who don’t actively follow soccer literally know nothing about the sport

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

...Im an American who doesnt actively follow soccer

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thatsad_guy@reddit

Apparently you do

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polelover44@reddit

is there a Fake Madrid

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strugglingtransgrl@reddit

This isnt true

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TheJunkmother@reddit

There are a lot of people in the world who don’t care about sports or only care about the one sport they’re into, whatever it is. I have no idea who Ronaldo is and I’ve never heard his name before this post.

Just out of curiosity, if you claim he’s the second most popular, why would OP think he’s the most famous person in the world? Who is number one?

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

Messi is the current #1 in the world.

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DResq@reddit

But the US has its own ecosystem apart from the rest of the world. We are a football and then basketball and baseball country. Just because he's known internationally doesn't mean people in the US have to know who he is. Just like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are very well-known in the US, but might not be known abroad.

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GasmaskTed@reddit

A sport which is largely ignored here. You don’t have to live under a rock to not know someone who has no pop media presence. Even if he’s a regular on ESPN or something (does he?), people who don’t give a shit about sports generally don’t watch that.

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strugglingtransgrl@reddit

Believe it or not, some people dont watch your favorite sport

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

Well only sports I watch are American football and basketball. I only know who Cristiano Ronaldo is because im not living under a rock.

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strugglingtransgrl@reddit

What a weird way to talk about people that just dont care about soccer lol

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

....im one of the people who just dont care about soccer

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strugglingtransgrl@reddit

Some people care even less than u

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

It's hard to miss perhaps the most famous person in the world outside of world leaders

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baalroo@reddit

It's really not at all. Where TF would we see anything about this guy?

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

Where do you see any info about celebrities in medis spaces you dont actively consume? Commercials, headlines, highlights, social media, etc.

He's the #1 profile in the world on Instagram, I dont use the platform myself but that's gotta be some type of indicator of his relevancy on a global scale.

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strugglingtransgrl@reddit

Lol what

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Lugbor@reddit

You very clearly do care, because you wouldn't be throwing a fit about it otherwise.

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

Throwing a fit? Lol no

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Lugbor@reddit

No, you really are. You seem almost angry that these other people don't know a soccer player in a country that doesn't have a massive soccer scene. You're in the minority.

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

The fact you dont know who Ronaldo is has zero impact on me lol. Dude asked if Ronaldo is famous in America, the answer is yes regardless of whether Lugbor or anyone else in this thread knows who he is.

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Lugbor@reddit

He's famous among people who pay attention to soccer. Most Americans only care about soccer if their city is hosting an event, and then only to the extent that they have to deal with the traffic it causes.

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

I just asked my wife who has never watched a televised sporting event in her life and even she knows who Ronaldo is lol. I think youre underestimating his relevancy, if Ronaldo made a public appearance in LA Chicago Miami NYC the crowds would be going apeshit

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Th3MiteeyLambo@reddit

By "famous" I am assuming that OP is asking if he's a household name, which I'm certain he isn't. I imagine MOST Americans are on the level of "I might recognize the name and maybe that he plays soccer, but meh"

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

I didnt read the question that way. There are maybe 10 athletes playing in the nfl that are "household names", i would not consider that to be the standard for fame.

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Th3MiteeyLambo@reddit

Fair, though I would contend with that assertion.

I still think that millions of fans =/= famous, when there's 400 million people in the country.

We're so large and diverse that you could find a group of fans of anyone or anything, but I'd be hard pressed to call those things "famous"

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WhiskyStandard@reddit

I know he’s a big soccer guy. Couldn’t tell you what team he plays for or pick him out of a line up of similar soccer dudes.

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Striders_aglet@reddit

Agreed. I know him and Messi are famous Footballers, but i dont have a clue what teams they play for or what positions.

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WhiskyStandard@reddit

And note that you mention Messi I’m wondering if the things I thought I knew about Ronaldo were actually about Messi…

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WhatABeautifulMess@reddit

Or they might be about Ronaldinho, who's another who was "famous" in the US in the "uhhh... he plays soccer, right?" kind of way.

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RsonW@reddit

Also: up until fairly recently I didn’t know that he and Ronaldinho

TIL

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uses_for_mooses@reddit

I personally liked that World Cup where Brazil rolled out Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho.

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RsonW@reddit

I guarantee that Ronaldo has millions of fans in the states.

Sure.

Let's say that ten million Americans are fans of Ronaldo. That's a lot! Right?

That's less than three percent of Americans.

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

Being a fan and having tangential awareness of his existence are 2 different concepts. If he has 10 million fans then the people aware of him would be much more than that

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szayl@reddit

He could have 25 million fans in the US and it would still mean that less than 1 in every 12 people knew who he were.

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

Being a fan and having tangential awareness of his existence are 2 different concepts. If he has 25 million fans in the US then surely people who are aware of him would be something like 5x that amount

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szayl@reddit

Cool, even with the completely unstantiated 5x multiplier less than 1 in 3 people have any idea who he is.

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spacing_out_in_space@reddit

Idk what youre trying to get at. 1 in 3 people being aware of your existence is famous as fuck

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SteampunkExplorer@reddit

Nope, never heard of him.

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ayebrade69@reddit

I would recognize every single backup QB before I recognized whoever that is

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

I know him, but I am a massive sports fan.

I am confident most people in the US do not.

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errorsniper@reddit

I have no idea who he is.

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forestinpark@reddit

No.

NBA teams/players are famous or known by general people who follow sports

NFL trams/players are known maybe thru movies. Like NY Yankees, that is known more thru pop culture.

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

....and that is my point.

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confusedrabbit247@reddit

Why are people so shocked that people who don't care about soccer don't know soccer players?

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palep_hoot@reddit

I mean i dont care one bit about soccer but i know like 10 players its kinda unavoidable here

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confusedrabbit247@reddit

You are from the Netherlands so your opinion and experience is completely irrelevant.

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SteampunkExplorer@reddit

It kind of makes sense to compare notes on different cultures, though. If we aren't also learning, this sub isn't very fun. 🥲

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confusedrabbit247@reddit

The point is that America doesn't care about soccer like other countries, so the comment and comparison is totally irrelevant like I already mentioned. There's nothing to learn in this regard.

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TeamTurnus@reddit

Yah makes sense! Highlights a cultural difference in that soccer/knowledge of soccer is very avoidable in the US.

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SteampunkExplorer@reddit

The cultural landscape is very different over here in America, LOL. You never really hear anything about soccer unless you seek it out.

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IrianJaya@reddit

Yes, he's the guy who had those hilarious statues made of him.

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goblin_hipster@reddit

I don't follow soccer at all. The only soccer players I know are Messi, Pele, Beckham, and Mia Hamm.

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bansheesho@reddit

I know he's a soccer player, but I couldn't pick him out of a lineup.

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uses_for_mooses@reddit

He was the star of that 2002 Brazilian World Cup team that won. That was back when Brazil was pretty good at soccer.

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AmanNamedJoJo@reddit (OP)

I meant Cristiano Ronaldo. I should’ve specified earlier in the question.

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ghost_suburbia@reddit

To be famous in America, you need to diversify. We know who David Beckham is on sight because he participates in pop culture. He shows up in TV and movies in cameos, does funny bits, and married someone who is also a celebrity. We don't need to be soccer fans to recognize him. Nikola Jokic is the top basketball player now. I can't pick him out of a crowd. But I can pick out Steph Curry because he does tv stuff and gets himself out there. Celebrities need to do more here.

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Hoosier_Jedi@reddit

Why would we care about him?

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itsjustmo_@reddit

I think that basically answers your question, doesn't it?

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DResq@reddit

Brazil has had a bunch of Ronados but this is the Ronaldo from Portugal. It gets confusing if you don't follow.

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Own-Distribution-193@reddit

Messi too.

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DResq@reddit

Michael Jordan and Lebron James might be more well-known in your country than Ronaldo and Messi are in the US. The US has the 4 major sports leagues, plus college sports and other leagues. Soccer is really not as popular in the US as the rest of the world may think.

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0010001@reddit

But that still means millions of soccer fans in the U.S. Ronaldo would get recognized in any major urban area—particularly given his height and the fact that he has that rich/famous person face that’s clearly had beauty treatments done.

Messi on the other hand—his name might be slightly more famous, but he’s a 5’7” bearded guy who could conceivably go incognito.

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

I could pick Messi out of a lineup.

I could not do that with Ronaldo.

Anecdotal evidence, I know. But I bet I'm far from alone.

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0010001@reddit

That’s fascinating. I figured most people would either recognize both or recognize neither.

Curious what leads to someone recognizing one soccer megastar but not the other.

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Suppafly@reddit

Messi actually has a career in the US now playing for Miami, so of the two, I'd imagine people who care about soccer might recognize him.

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DResq@reddit

People who care about soccer would obviously know who both of them are, lol.

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PeppyQuotient57@reddit

Messi plays in the United States now and at FC Barcelona for near 20 years. I really had no clue who he actually was when I was a kid playing soccer, but I still heard of him all the time.

While Ronaldo played for Real Madrid and Man United he’s also played for Juventes and in Saudi Arabia for nearly 10 years. Only a truly dedicated soccer fan has heard of either in the USA.

Even my dad who never watches soccer outside of the World Cup knows who Messi is and thinks of him as the best player in the world.

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Odd_Mathematician654@reddit

Every male in my extended family is between 6' and 6'6". I had to go look up the average height of soccer players and its 5'10". I had no idea they were that much shorter than baseball (6'1") or US football (6'2")players.

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clearliquidclearjar@reddit

I had to look up his picture just now because I didn't know who he was. He just looks like a guy. He doesn't look particularly rich or famous. Also, 6'2" isn't tall enough to draw attention. Two of my little sisters are 6 feet tall - America has a lot of tall people.

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sebsasour@reddit

I know Ronaldo is far more famous , but there is the funny story of Pep Guardiola (one of the greatest coaches of all time if youre not a soccer fan) in New York.

When he took a year long sabbatical from coaching he spent it in New York for the exact reason of being able to remain relatively anonymous. His son played in a local youth soccer league and one day the ref was a no show for the game. Pep stepped in to cover for the ref, and just couldn't help himself from giving instructions to the players on both teams. Thats not something a ref is supposed to do and he was very quickly asked to stop by the parents and another parent filled in to ref instead.

Parents had no idea their kids were basically getting a free clinic from one of the greatest coaches in the world lol

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DResq@reddit

Ronaldo is 6'2". It's not like he's some giant NBA player. That's a pretty bad argument, lol.

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sadthrow104@reddit

The world thinks it alright. They remind us of it constantly. Like the Football vs soccer wording debate

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DResq@reddit

Which is dumb. The name, 'soccer' came from England. Shortening of Association Football.

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dre235@reddit

If you asked me about Ronaldo with no context, I would assume you meant the Brazilian Ronaldo. The one who has won multiple world cups as well as being a well established superstar.

If you said Cristiano, CR, or said did you see the Ronaldo goal in the game today, of course I know who you are talking about. Hrs a great player who in his prime could score seemingly at will with the right support cast.

I absolutely Messi is more popular. He plays in the US and is on lots of advertising here. He's won more on the world stage, and doesn't share a name with a more accomplished player.

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cornfarm96@reddit

Sports fans in the U.S. likely know who he is, even if they don’t watch soccer, but he isn’t very famous here. People who aren’t sports fans would likely have no idea.

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Odd_Mathematician654@reddit

Nope...I'm a sports fan but never heard of him till now. I can name a bunch of international tennis and golf pros but 2 soccer players...Messi, Beckham.

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cornfarm96@reddit

Well I didn’t say that U.S. sports fans would be guaranteed to know who Ronaldo is, just that it would be likely, which I still believe to be true.

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anneofgraygardens@reddit

He's the guy with the terrible statue, right?

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Xarcert@reddit

Soccer fans know him but more people know Messi than Ronaldo here. Neither are even remotely the most famous people in America.

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ghost_suburbia@reddit

While true, I still couldn't pick Messi out of a line up.

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anneofgraygardens@reddit

One thing I know about Messi is that he's really short. He's like the Jose Altuve of soccer.

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adriennenned@reddit

I’ve heard of Messi. But I assumed he’s from another country. (I don’t follow soccer at all obviously.)

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bceagles182@reddit

He is. He’s from Argentina. He just plays in the U.S. league, much like many Dominican baseball players play in the U.S.

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adriennenned@reddit

Oh I misunderstood the question. I thought the OP was asking about the most famous American alive.

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MostAsk855@reddit

I didn’t know the us had a professional soccer league again.

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oops_im_not_wrong@reddit

Honestly I feel like ISHOWSPEED clips are the main reason I know the name. I don’t watch streamers but I catch clips on tiktok or reals

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hungaryboii@reddit

I think with Messi it helps that he now plays in Miami

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Efficient-Panic3506@reddit

I’d say Messi is currently more recognizable in the US just because he plays in Miami now. People who never watched MLS in their life suddenly know Inter Miami exists lol

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Current_Poster@reddit

1) No outside of actual soccer fans of course, he's not famous. (And I mean that in the sense that even people who don't follow, say, basketball, can pick out NBA stars). 2) I don't think Messi is significantly better known than Ronaldo.

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Gallantpride@reddit

I don't follow any sports. I only know of Babe Ruth, the big NBA stars (Michael Jordan, Lebron, etc), Serena Williams, and Tiger Woods.

I know Ronaldo is a world famous soccer player. I cannot tell you anything besides that.

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Steamsagoodham@reddit

He’s decently known, but his name recognition is likely less than 50%. The US isn’t the only country where this is the case, but he is still for sure one of the most popular people in the world.

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Ok_Gas5386@reddit

I know he’s won a bunch of ballons d’or and lead Portugal to a win in 2016 UEFA.

My understanding is that he’s more internationally recognized than Messi but I have no idea why.

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khak_attack@reddit

I know who Cristiano Ronaldo is in the same way that I know who Wayne Gretzky is. Both are talented athletes, from another country, of a sport I don't follow. That is, I've heard of them, but they have no influence in my life or my immediate pop culture.

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wapera@reddit

I think in terms of the USA Ronaldo isn’t the most famous person alive. No soccer player would even be at the forefront since this sport isn’t our main sport. People will think of like Taylor Swift or Kylie Jenner before Ronaldo.

If we are talking soccer people specifically, we are more inclined to think about Messi (GOAT) or Beckham.

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cookingforengineers@reddit

If we are expanding past sport people, then I would imagine more people would recognize Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin than another other person on Earth? Or a big long time movie star like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt.

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wapera@reddit

Totally. No way a sport player is the most famous person alive.

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Psychological-Pen953@reddit

Is Kylie Jenner that famous? I know her name but I couldn’t tell you anything about her other than she is one of the kardashians

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wapera@reddit

Everything I know about the Kardashians has been against my will.

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Lugbor@reddit

They're a family that gets inflicted on people.

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Fuckoffassholes@reddit

Only reason I'm aware of him is from the time I googled "highest paid athlete."

Then I was a little perplexed how he could be such a "big deal" worldwide while so obscure in America. I always knew that certain people were "big" elsewhere but not so much in the US, but Ronaldo probably has the largest disparity of anyone.

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Danibear285@reddit

Who??????

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boilerromeo@reddit

Ronaldo McDonaldo?

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Sweihwa@reddit

Very famous indeed. He's in a battle with Colonel Sanders and the Burger King. Wendys gets a good few swipes in there occasionally.

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mdavis360@reddit

Wasn’t Captain Crunch involved in this battle?

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Sweihwa@reddit

Who do you think got crunched first?

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curious_eyebrow@reddit

… or the other (slightly less) famous Ronaldo, Reagan.

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adriennenned@reddit

Seriously. Who tf is Ronaldo? I thought of these two Ronalds and that’s it.

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Sweihwa@reddit

Soccer player https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ?si=FMzg6u54_qRCQUci

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bceagles182@reddit

The funny thing is that Cristiano Ronaldo was named after Ronald Reagan.

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Sutcliffe@reddit

Legit what I thought at first. 🤣

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CorduroyGmork@reddit

Me too.

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MsE0@reddit

I thought of Geraldo, because I'm old

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Appropriate_Copy8285@reddit

Bruh, came to say this 😂

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Pinwurm@reddit

David Beckham is probably the only soccer player most Americans would know. He is in tabloids, reality TV, and media catering towards English language audiences.

Soccer has popularity as a 'children's sport' and with our immigrant communities. That's about it.

Ronaldo and Messi are names we might recognize, but I have no idea what they look like.

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TheBlazingFire123@reddit

No he is famous here

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lowtdi850@reddit

Brazilian or Portuguese Ronaldo?

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Suppafly@reddit

Brazilian or Portuguese Ronaldo?

This, I wikipedia'd it to see who was who and it seems like the Portuguese one isn't even the most famous one.

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AmanNamedJoJo@reddit (OP)

Portuguese

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marvsup@reddit

Oh I've only ever heard him referred to by his whole name to differentiate them.

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lowtdi850@reddit

Yeah not as popular here as Messi. Known among “sports” people but not super popular. Messi came here, Ronaldo took the Saudi money.

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Libertas_@reddit

Just by being on reddit I can tell you he's a soccer player. I have no idea what country he's from or what he looks like.

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Suppafly@reddit

Is Ronaldo really not that famous in America?

Correct. Is there a reason you find that surprising? Soccer isn't really that popular here.

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machagogo@reddit

Soccer isn't that popular. Therefore soccer stars are not.

I'd say a lot of people know he plays soccer, and not much more.

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ehunke@reddit

He has celebrity status in the US that is for sure, but, soccer is just not all that popular in the US unless its a world cup year and we are in it. I shouldn't say that soccer is not that popular, it is, but the only league that gets any serious coverage here is the English premier league, we get some la liga coverage, but only when Real Madrid and Bara play otherwise its on a sports channel most people don't get

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judgingA-holes@reddit

I can name all of 3 who have/do play soccer and he's one of them and Messi is another.

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baalroo@reddit

He could almost certainly walk around my city openly without being noticed or bothered.

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MovieSock@reddit

Ronaldo who?

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Ill_Pressure3893@reddit

Ronaldo Cristiano

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Stock-Swing-797@reddit

The breakfast/brunch/lunch sandwich at Perkins?

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Ill_Pressure3893@reddit

No, not our old friend Montague “Monty” Cristiano …

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MovieSock@reddit

Still have no idea who that is.

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adriennenned@reddit

Never heard of him

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user_number_666@reddit

the soccer player

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MovieSock@reddit

Not a sports fan, that tells me nothing.

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user_number_666@reddit

you don't know what soccer is?

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MovieSock@reddit

I know what soccer is, but that doesn't mean I know all of the people involved in it.

I mean, I'm sure you know what theater is, but does that mean you know who Marin Ireland is? Or Thomas Kail? Or Stew?

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TsundereLoliDragon@reddit

By the general public, no, not really at all. By soccer fans, sure, definitely an all time great.

Also a bonus question would you say more Americans know Messi than Ronaldo?

Probably? At least he's playing over here now.

Is Jahmyr Gibbs famous in whatever country you live in?

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MattressBBQ@reddit

You know who else Americans know nothing about but who's very famous elsewhere? Robbie Williams

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Prodigal_Lemon@reddit

Who?

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szayl@reddit

The Brits lose their mind over that and I will never understand why they even care

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MattressBBQ@reddit

I think he's a wanker anyway.

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Adjective-Noun123456@reddit

I know he's a soccer player thanks to Reddit, but there's also apparently like 35 Brazilians named Ronaldo who are famous in other countries for playing soccer.

The most famous soccer players here are probably Pele and Beckham. The former was before my time and the latter because he had a movie.

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TheJokersChild@reddit

That's a soccer player, right? That's why we don't know him. Soccer, while it does have pockets of popularity lately, is just not as popular as NFL football or baseball here. Messi may be a little more popular...he's had a couple of restaurant tie-ins over the years and I do remember Hard Rock Cafe had some kind of Messi burger a couple years ago.

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MovieSock@reddit

Buddy, most Americans don't even know what professional soccer is. Over here, "Soccer" is "that game that my kids play on the weekends and then they grow out of it when they go to high school".

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Littleboypurple@reddit

Most Americans have probably heard the name atleast once but, also most Americans wouldn't be able to pick him out from a line up. Ya'll really need to understand that Soccer just isn't super big and most Americans don't care for it. We care about our sports and our athletes more

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SabresBills69@reddit

You mean thr one thst runs McDonald's?

Rinaldo is unknown snd unrecognizable

Messi who is playing for Miami is only marginally popular.

I think in 2025 he was in s super bowl ad

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Lugbor@reddit

Based on the other comments, I see he's a soccer player. Soccer is not a big sport here, and most people don't pay any attention to it unless their kid is in a youth league.

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MetalEnthusiast83@reddit

I know who he is, but I watch soccer a bit. Most people don't.

Messi plays here now, so probably.

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ralphypod@reddit

I would say a very good amount of Americans know who he is despite soccer/football not being in the top 3 sports (but it has been getting increasingly popular the last few decades)

Same can definitely be said of Messi.

It’s kind of like referring to Michael Jordan, where the player supersedes the sport itself. I’m not a big soccer guy myself btw.

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sighnwaves@reddit

Who?

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MIZ417@reddit

I had to google him. I don't understand why he is playing for Portugal in the World Cup instead of Saudi Arabia.

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huazzy@reddit

Because you represent your passport not the location of your employer.

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SteampunkExplorer@reddit

I've seen the name Messi before, occasionally, somewhere. I know he plays soccer. I've never heard of anybody named Ronaldo. My first thought was also Ronald McDonald, LOL.

We as a nation are just really, really not that into soccer, I'm afraid. 🥲 There are fans, but it's a lot more niche than something like football or basketball. I'm not trying to knock it, because I know any game can be played casually or seriously, but the role of soccer in our culture is usually more "children's playground game" than "professional sport".

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Bluemonogi@reddit

I’ve never heard of Ronaldo or Messi. Why do you think I should have? What are they famous for?

I don’t follow sports so if they are just sports famous then I would not have heard of them.

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AmanNamedJoJo@reddit (OP)

I don’t think you should have to know who he is, it’s just the rest of the world. He’s a very famous football(soccer) player

And I wouldn’t say he’s just sport famous I think he’s just famous in the rest of the world

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NBKiller69@reddit

Responding without looking him up to see if he at least has name recognition: He is a soccer player, right? That's a much as (I think) I know about him

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GasmaskTed@reddit

Soccer only means soccer, even if it’s not what other countries primarily use

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OctoMatter@reddit

Not American but I think it's comparable to that one famous quarterback.. the husband of Tailor Swift (unironically forgot his name)

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GuadDidUs@reddit

This is a hilariously apt reply.

Tom Brady was married to Gisele Bundchen.

Taylor Swift is engaged to Travis Kelce, who is not a quarterback, he's a tight end (the quarterback throws the ball to him).

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OctoMatter@reddit

Snap, got it all wrong. Kelce does ring a bell though.

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GuadDidUs@reddit

You got it wrong in the best possible way. I read it and was like "This is exactly the kind of thing Americans would likely say about a foreign famous person"

"Ronaldo? He's that famous soccer player for Barcelona, right?"

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OctoMatter@reddit

Task failed successfully

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WinterBourne25@reddit

FYI: He’s not a quarterback. He’s a tight end. And it’s spelled Taylor.

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Opposite-Peak5020@reddit

Found the Swiftie

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_IndyCar@reddit

Idk, do you know Dale Sr.?

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Stock-Swing-797@reddit

👌🪽

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dwhite21787@reddit

Or AJ Foyt

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ivegotcharisma@reddit

Lmao

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FormerlyDK@reddit

Never heard of either one.

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GasmaskTed@reddit

Americans only know Pele and the guys from the Simpsons https://youtu.be/HV0UGXYwQh0?si=ELtRodAOJJIB7rA7

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peppermintmeow@reddit

Who? If not for this website I'd never have heard of him. Even now I only know him by first name and that he plays soccer. That's it.

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marvsup@reddit

Well, Ronaldo is his last name.... lol

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peppermintmeow@reddit

Christian! I remember!

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Felis_igneus726@reddit

I have absolutely no idea who you're talking about. I don't follow sports at all, though, so that's not really saying much. But I gather from the comments that he's a soccer/football player, in which case it's worth noting that soccer isn't that big in the US. I really wouldn't be that surprised if he's not very well known here.

If I had to place a bet on the "most famous person alive", well first of all I don't think there's anyone who takes that title "without question", but second of all I'd probably be looking at the few heads of state whose actions are relevant on a literal global scale. The world of sports is a very large but still specialized field, especially narrowed down to a single one.

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Apprehensive_Camel49@reddit

Which one? R9 or Cristiano?

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AmanNamedJoJo@reddit (OP)

Cristiano

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Apprehensive_Camel49@reddit

There’s a massive amount of people, especially older, who have no working knowledge of football/soccer here. Then even people like my wife played soccer leagues growing up for years but still have no working knowledge or interest in the professional game.

If he were 10-15 years younger and playing in the premier league or had pulled a Messi/Becks move to MLS then he might be more well known. Or maybe if Portugal had been able to win one of the big international trophies.

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bceagles182@reddit

I don’t even know which Ronaldo you are referencing..?

Christiano Ronaldo or the Ronaldo that played for Brazil?

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AmanNamedJoJo@reddit (OP)

My bad I should’ve specified I meant Cristiano

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Kiyo-chan@reddit

I had to look that person up, I had no idea who you were talking about. Relative to the population of the US, only a very small percentage cares about soccer at all. I would wager women’s soccer is much more popular among those that follow it here. In real numbers, probably only a few million genuinely care about the sport enough to really follow it and learn the athletes. Theres easily more hardcore ice hockey fans here than soccer, it really isn’t that popular. The media likely inflates numbers, if you walk into a bar or restaurant here and ask that same question you’ll probably be able to count on one hand how many people know who you’re talking about.

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c0147@reddit

Cristiano Ronaldo is by far the most famous person on the planet and it’s not even close.

Americans make up 4.7% of the global adult population and are the global outlier of soccer fandom.

Most American’s have no idea who he his. But most people in the world are not Americans.

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Any_Translator6613@reddit

Do you know the soccer man?

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asteriskelipses@reddit

Ronaldo means two things... do you mean Ronaldo, or do you mean Cristiano?

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AmanNamedJoJo@reddit (OP)

Cristiano

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arnoldrew@reddit

I know nothing about him except that he’s a soccer player. I don’t know his first name, where he’s from, how old he is or when he played, what position he plays/played, nothing. Also I don’t think I had even heard about him until about a year ago. Messi and Pele are also just “single name soccer guys” in my mind. I don’t give a shit about soccer and neither does anyone regularly come into contact with, so why would I know about these guys?

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HelicopterSoft7961@reddit

I know of him. I think I know what he looks like. The only famous soccer players I can name are Messi, Ronaldo, Beckham and Pele. Disclaimer: I am not counting US women's soccer team.

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SteveMarck@reddit

I bet the average American probably doesn't know who that is unless they are into sports. And even then, soccer isn't a big sport here. I certainly couldn't pick him out of a line up. I just know he plays soccer and is like the second best to messi. Not much else. Don't know what team he's on (white jerseys maybe?), or really anything about him. And my brother loves soccer, so I feel like I only know that through osmosis.

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majesticalexis@reddit

I have heard the name and know he is a sports figure but I did not know he was that famous. I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup.

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bceagles182@reddit

He would be known to anyone that has more than a casual interest in sports, but he is not a celebrity and would not be known by people who do not follow sports.

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Cheap_Coffee@reddit

I don't know who Ronaldo is, so yes.

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jreid1985@reddit

It depends on where you live. Largely, no. But my school had a large Brazilian population, so lots of kids are interested in professional soccer.

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theatregirl1987@reddit

I mean I know he's a soccer player, but thats about it. Took me a second when I saw the post too.

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Time_Neat_4732@reddit

I learned (vaguely) who that is from this thread, I’m so sorry. 😅

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Ok-Energy-9785@reddit

Who?

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StrongStyleDragon@reddit

Depends where. Obviously a good football city has its fans like Florida Cali Texas. Some mid western might lose their minds if they see him. He would do well here but the majority of the states wouldn’t know him if they saw him but they might remember the name.

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FlippingPossum@reddit

Me: Who is Ranoldo?

After reading comments...

I barely follow American football. I know football (soccer here) matches are a big deal internationally. Soccer her is predominantly a youth or college sport. It is gaining a following but is more a niche interest.

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Relative-Secret-4618@reddit

Of course i know of him. I could care less about sports tho so I dont think about him nor care lol

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Outlaw_Josie_Snails@reddit

Is Ronaldo really not that famous in America?

Cristiano Ronaldo the soccer ("football") player? No, he isn't very famous in the US.

I only know of him by seeing posts on Reddit and some news stories on Facebook.

In the rest of the world, he’s a global icon practically everyone knows him

In the US, the most popular sports are basketball, football, baseball, and hockey. Therefore, it makes sense why Cristiano Ronaldo isn't widely popular there. Those in the US who do watch soccer know exactly who he is.

As far as I know, I’m pretty sure he’s the only person who has 1 billion followers across all social media combined.

And? That is because in other parts of the world, he is fanous and people choose to follow him.

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pinniped90@reddit

We know the name but he isn't hugely popular. He took Saudi money and kinda of disappeared from consciousness for us.

Messi, by contrast, is everywhere. I see kids wearing pink Miami kit far from Miami.

Apparently Sporting KC made Ronaldo an offer, but obviously it wasn't as big as the dirty Saudi bag he accepted.

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Interesting-Quit-847@reddit

Why would we know about Ronaldo? Sometimes the celebrity of various international footballers seeps over the border. Pele, David Beckham, etc. And there are millions of Americans who follow the world of football. But we don't really have teams that play in your leagues much. So Ronald just isn't very relevant. For whatever reason, we created our own sports: baseball, basketball, American football, etc. and that cut us off from the sporting culture of the world. I guess we're like that. But soccer (football) gets more popular here all of the time. My small city (best known as the home of the Green Bay Packers) is in talks to build a 5,000 person soccer stadium downtown for a 2nd tier professional team. That's very much a sign.

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Sudden_Childhood_484@reddit

I’m curious how many of those 1 billion followers are bots.

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aquay@reddit

Who???

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MostAsk855@reddit

I’ve never heard of him. Just googled him and didn’t ring a bell. I would think less than 2% of us can even name one doctor player and of that, the vast majority would say Pele only because soccer had a brief stint of almost being popular in the early 1980s.

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HackDaddy85@reddit

No idea who that is

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RaeWineLover@reddit

I'm guessing a soccer player, but I seriously have no idea.

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Swimming-Walrus3226@reddit

I’m not into soccer at all, but I like sports. The only players I could name are Ronaldo. Messi. And pele

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HotSteak@reddit

Alexi Lawless, Tab Ramos

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TiredPistachio@reddit

Same but I can add on mbappe but mostly because his name is mbappe

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CBus660R@reddit

Isn't that a Hanson song?

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NoGuarantee3961@reddit

I also know who Mia Hamm was if that means anything....but yeah, about right....ok, not quite true, I want to college with a guy named Wade who played in MLS for a long time, I think with Houston....so that's one more I know...

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Recent_Weather2228@reddit

Only people who are into soccer know who he is, and most people in the US aren't into soccer. He does not have the universal name recognition here that he does other places.

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Environmental_Run881@reddit

I see a lot more Messi jerseys. And I work almost exclusively with our immigrant population from mostly Africa, Middle East, and South America.

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ltsmash1200@reddit

No.

I know his name and that he plays soccer. I know nothing beyond that.

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Lophius_Americanus@reddit

Personally love me some Ronald 🐪

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nathanwilson26@reddit

He could walk down the Main Street in just about every major American city and not be bothered. He might get a few second glances and that is about it. New York (maybe), Miami, parts of Massachusetts (New Bedford, Fall River, Cambridge) or LA might be a little different. LA he might be recognized, but LA doesn’t care about celebrities anyways.

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thabonch@reddit

I think most people would recognize the name but wouldn't be able to identify him.

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KingEgbert@reddit

At least where I live, most kids know who Ronaldo and Messi are, but it’s a fairly multi-ethnic part of the country. My kids are in elementary school, and there are enough people wearing Ronaldo or Messi jerseys on the bus that I’ve heard them discuss who is better, even though they’ve never watched a minute of either of them play.

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gleaming-the-cubicle@reddit

So a soccer guy then?

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NastyNate4@reddit

We are an insular country with our own sporting traditions. I barely knew who Messi was until the last few years.

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Haifisch2112@reddit

I wouldn't say everyone knows him.

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MostAsk855@reddit

I didn’t know who he was until I googled him just now and maybe the name is familiar? I would guess 80% don’t know who he is whatsoever, 15% know he’s a soccer player but wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a lineup, and 5% know who he is.

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GoddessOfOddness@reddit

I know he’s a soccer player. That’s it’s

Most Americans couldn’t recognize Messi and he’s playing here. I’d only know him if he was wearing his pink jersey.

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TractorDrawnAerial@reddit

Who?

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Mayor_of_BBQ@reddit

like i know Ronaldo is a soccer player but no idea where he is from, what team or league he plays for. is he still active or retired, nor could i pick him out of a lineup

Is he the guy that had a weird ugly statue/bust made of him and it was viral?

This probably has little to do with his celebrity, and more to do with the fact that 98% of Americans don’t know or care anything about soccer

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rawbface@reddit

We do not give a crap about soccer, why should we care about a foreign player?

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Apprehensive_Rip_201@reddit

As a 40 gear old american, I don't know what you're talking about

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FlyinHiiigh@reddit

I genuinely thought you meant Fabio and was like, "kids these days don't know him, do they?"

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sillywabbitslayer@reddit

I have elementary school students who love Ronaldo and Messi. I love to tell them my Grandma runs faster or that she waved at them when she was passing them!

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Alternative_Risk4230@reddit

Honestly, the only really famous Association Football player who was really famous here in the US was Mia Hamm back in the 90s.

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Teknicsrx7@reddit

Pelé was more well known

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ProfessionalReveal@reddit

You're getting a ton of "who?" comments. Let me provide another perspective:

East Coast US suburb. My 7 year old's best friends are from Iowa, Brazil, India, and Kenya. He has never watched a single pro soccer game but he does the "siu!" perfectly and cannot be convinced that LeBron is a better athlete than Ronaldo, no matter how hard I try.

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MakeStupidHurtAgain@reddit

Americans are not, for the most part, huge fans of soccer. So other than people who’ve become celebrities for other reasons, like David Beckham, soccer stars don’t have a ton of name recognition.

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TaquitoLaw@reddit

Heard the name, wouldn't recognize him if I saw him on the street

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79215185-1feb-44c6@reddit

We don't watch Association Football in any meaningful quantity outside of very niche communities.

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RioFinesse@reddit

Everyone I know that cares about the primary American sports (basketball, football, baseball) knows who Ronaldo is. They might not know his career stats or what team he has played for but they know the name and that he’s a soccer player. The population that doesn’t really care about sports at all might not know though.

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Rumhead1@reddit

I don't know who that is.

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HippoProject@reddit

I know he’s a soccer player. I don’t know what teams he’s on.

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Prior-Soil@reddit

I am a soccer fan and I still don't know who he is.

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SugarRush212@reddit

I mean, is he all that famous in China or India either? What about Indonesia? I doubt a majority of people know who he is in the four largest countries on earth!

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MattressBBQ@reddit

Ronaldo is definitely not famous in America. He's known, but not famous

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jimbojimbus@reddit

He used to be but Messi quickly took the spotlight.

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Meowmeowmeow31@reddit

I still see that goofy looking statue of him used a meme sometimes.

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No-Impression891@reddit

Yeah, when I was reading this post I genuinely had no idea who Ronaldo was until I was the “global icon” part and I was like, “Isn’t that the name of some soccer player I’ve been seeing on all these World Cup posts?”

But when I saw Messi in your post, I knew instantly he was a soccer player, even if I couldn’t tell you the name of his team, his first name (last name?), what position he plays, or what he looks like.

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user_number_666@reddit

Yes, Messi was a name I knew, but not this other guy.

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Yungjak2@reddit

He’s not unknown or anything but really only relevant in topics involving soccer.

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mikelgan@reddit

I would guess that something like 90% of Americans have no idea who Ronaldo is.

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malibuklw@reddit

I couldn’t pick him out of a group of people, but I know he plays soccer and has been accused of rape multiple times

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OpposumMyPossum@reddit

I feel like I know he's a soccer player but imagine he as a last name but I don't know it.

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EnoughEstate7483@reddit

I only know him from that hilarious bust that was made of him.

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Various-Tomatillo407@reddit

Soccer isn’t as big here. I’m familiar with him. I’m not a soccer fan but I’ve been alive and on the internet long enough to know what the guy looks like and understand his significance to the game, and his popularity outside the United States.

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ManateeNipples@reddit

We don't care about soccer the way the rest of the world does. Some people here are into it but not like other places

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Synensys@reddit

I think kids know him more than adults, but Messi is the mich bigger star here. Lots of Messi halloween costumes through the past few years (particularly since he went to Miami but even before that) but not really any Ronaldo.

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queenjazzyjazz@reddit

I know Ronaldo is a soccer player. I know he is a very talented soccer, among the best in the world. I hear teenagers talk about him. They wear his jersey.

Me personally? If I saw him in public I would have no idea.

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daoliveman@reddit

No. No idea what he looks like

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No-Lettuce-5783@reddit

Are you talking about Ronaldo McDonaldo? No, I know he's a football (soccer) player. And I know a lot of people are crazy about the football (soccer). Maybe Americans who follow sports know him, but other than that, he's just not in our consciousness so much.

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Lastofthehaters@reddit

Who?

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szayl@reddit

Only with immigrants and the handful of domestic soccer fans here. If you were to drop him in a Midwest town and dress him in typical local attire no one would recognize him.

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Ill-Butterscotch1337@reddit

Most people don't know who he is. Outside of soccer he has no significant relevancy so it's not very surprising.

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skaliton@reddit

You have to remember football (or as we call it soccer) isn't big here...like at all

like can most people probably recognize the name? Sure. Could even most sportsball fans tell you what team he plays on? Probably not. Outside of the world cup and the few weeks before it we literally do not care about the game.

'but the world cup is being hosted' ...we. do. not. care.

it is bigger news that fifa gave donnie quixote a fake prize than it is that the game is being played

it doesn't help that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnQChKs0Ick is an accurate portrayal of what many americans think about the game

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