Poll Names Ronaldo As Brazil's Most Popular Footballer Worldwide

This just out:

SporTV has aired the results of a nationwide Brazilian poll carried out on player popularity and the results were surprising.

Six months ago the very same pole had named Kaka as the most popular footballer in Brazil with a 25.8% popularity rating and Ronaldo could only manage 6.68% of the vote.

However in a startling turn of events, and even after Kaka's Confederation Cup triumphs, Ronaldo now occupies the number one spot with 22.6% of the votes with Kaka coming in second racking up 21.2%.

It is very unusual for a non-Selecao player to be so loved in Brazil but then again Ronaldo is just no ordinary mortal.

Having won both the Sao Paulo Championship and the Cup of Brazil, Ronaldo's popularity is soaring. Add to that scintillating goals unmatched for quality anywhere in the world and it's not hard to see why so many Brazilian hearts have been conquered.

The poll was carried out in several states and people could vote on any player in the world irrespective of nationality or playing location.

So much so that another surprise was that miraculously even the likes of relative unknowns in Brazil like Cristiano Ronaldo received votes.

The other Ronaldo who currently plays in Spain came in with a surprising 3.2% of the vote.

Arch rivals and much despised Argentina got one player voted for—Lionel Messi. He finished with 1.9% of the football fanatic population of Brazil asked naming him as their favourite player.

The directors at Corinthians must be happy as kit sales with the famous Ronaldo 9 should hit tens of millions easily, and that's just in Brazil.