The Ronaldo effect: Cristiano crushes Messi on social media

Both superstars figured in explosive transfers this summer, with one getting more online attention than the other.

The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi extends beyond the pitch whether they want to admit it or not. This summer, the two football superstars figured in sensational transfers, and the social media attention that Ronaldo received was significantly more than Messi.

FC Barcelona had been claiming all summer that they were going to be able to finalise a contract extension with their former captain. However, after the Argentine returned to Spain from international duty at the Copa America and a short holiday, he was told that the club will not be able to register his new contract.

In a whirlwind transfer that took less than a week to complete, Messi found himself being presented at the Parc des Princes as a new Paris Saint-Germain player. There was an absolute frenzy in France, with fans coming out in droves to try to catch a glimpse of the six-time Ballon d'Or winner in his first few hours in the French capital.

The club took to Twitter on August 10 to share a video of Messi's first day and presentation in Paris, and the post has so far received 871.8k likes, 16.6k comments and 258.3k retweets. In the video, a drone travels through the facilities at the Parc des Princes before finally focusing on the Argentine star on the pitch wearing a PSG kit.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo completed a thrilling transfer saga just this Friday. News came out on Thursday that he had asked to leave Juventus, with his destination believed to be Manchester City. However, by Friday afternoon, Manchester United had announced that he will be coming home.

Less than three days later, the Manchester United's post on Twitter has already received 1.9 million likes, 69.7k comments and 857.4k retweets.

Needless to say, the announcement of Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival has completely dwarfed PSG's post. Granted, the Premier League side has always been one of the most influential sports clubs boasting a massive worldwide reach. Nevertheless, there is no denying the fact that Ronaldo is social media's sweetheart, with his own accounts enjoying tremendous following on several platforms.