You’re not a football fan these days unless you pick a side in the battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Just like us mere mortals who side with either Team Ronaldo or Team Messi, celebrities aren’t immune to picking one side over the other. The most popular faces on the earth have their own favourites between the two Spanish giants and it must be a matter of great pride for both clubs to have such a star-studded fan base.
Here’s a look at famous celebrities and whose side they are on:
#10 Ricky Martin – Real Madrid
The man who sang ‘The Cup of Life’, the theme song for the 1998 FIFA World Cup is a Real Madrid fan. Even though Martin hails from Puerto Rico, he is of Spanish ancestry through his great-grandparents who were natives of the Basque country. His rising popularity in Spain encouraged the Latin American to become a Spanish national and buy a house in the capital, the home of Los Blancos.
An unapologetic Real Madrid fan, he has been seen cheering on the Galacticos at home and during away games. He accompanied his then-girlfriend Rebecca de Alba to Madrid’s friendly game in Thailand back in 2003. The Puerto Rican even tweeted his support for the side when they defeated Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final in 2014.
#9 Ranbir Kapoor – Barcelona
The allegedly reclusive Ranbir Kapoor, part-owner of ISL side Mumbai City FC is definitely a football fanatic and swears by his love for FC Barcelona. The Bollywood actor is very vocal about his allegiance to the club and he is no mere fan either. Barcelona made him an honorary member of the club and their official ambassador to India in 2011 and put his tour of the Camp Nou on their official website.
In an interview with Barca TV, he said, "I have always been a Barça fan because of the way they play football, the players... It is like a religion, they play well and are also organised. Also because of their solidarity. They play the best football I have ever seen anywhere in the world. I have been a Barça since the early nineties.”
The club also welcomed him with a tweet for a Copa del Rey match in January last year.
#8 Penelope Cruz – Real Madrid
Spanish model and actress Penelope Cruz is a diehard football fan and grew up supporting none other than her local club, Real Madrid. Her love for the sport is pretty well known. In an interview with The Independent’, she discussed her loyalty to the club and how she even painted her face in Spain’s flag colours during the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Being a Madrid fan must be even easier for the Vicky Christina Barcelona star since she is a neighbour to Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale who all live in the same VIP estate in the capital. Cruz’s devotion to the Los Blancos can’t make for very comfortable dinner conversation either since her husband, Javier Bardem is a longtime Barcelona supporter.
#7 Magic Johnson – Barcelona
It’s no wonder NBA legend Magic Johnson is a Barcelona fan. The Catalan club has their very own basketball team and Johnson won an Olympic gold with the U.S.A. basketball team in the city in 1992, the same year Cruyff's side won the European championship.
The former LA Lakers player was present at the El Clasico in October 2012. Enamoured by Lionel Messi, he spoke to Barca TV saying, “I’m happy that I’m here. I wanted to be here. It’s a historic game and I wanted to be part of it, I’ll be able to say that I watched this game in person, in world’s most beautiful stadium. Messi is my favourite, he’s my man.”
The President of Basketball Operations at the Los Angeles Lakers once quipped to C+ Liga, "I'm for Messi. I love everything he and all his team-mates represent and I have come to cheer them on to the end."
#6 Russell Crowe – Real Madrid
Russell Crowe, famous for his roles in Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind, chose Real Madrid to promote his film, Robin Hood in 2010. The owner of Australian rugby side South Sydney Rabbitohs, the actor from New Zealand is a massive football fan as well.
Crowe visited Valdebebas, Madrid’s training facility and spent time with Alvaro Arbeloa, Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul and Guti. He also took part in a photo shoot with the Portuguese superstar. Prior to his promotional visit to Madrid, the Cinderella Man actor said he intended to make Ronaldo pose in a Rabbitohs cap which he did during his visit. Crowe tweeted, “Mission accomplished Christiano (sic) Ronaldo proudly wore the running rabbit.”
#5 Justin Beiber – Barcelona
Not sure how much of a good thing this is but Canadian pop star Justin Beiber is a longtime Barcelona fan. Before the conclusion of his world tour, Beiber dropped by Barcelona’s training ground last year and took part in some light training with Neymar and Rafinha. The 23-year-old even tried his hand at keeping and taking shots from the penalty spot.
The former teenage sensation even found the time to pose for a picture with one of the world’s most lethal attacking trio, MSN. This wasn’t the first time Beiber visited the Blaugranas either. He stopped by once in 2011 for a quick chat with Messi and Iniesta and tested his own football skills.
#4 Jennifer Lopez – Real Madrid
Not only is Jennifer Lopez a Real Madrid fan but seems to be on very friendly terms with one Los Blancos in particular, Cristiano Ronaldo. When the Portuguese captain was off celebrating his side’s victory in Euro 2016, he partied hard with Jenny from the Block in Las Vegas this past July. It was the pop star’s birthday and their Instagram accounts were full off their selfies together.
JLo also surprised her cousin on her birthday in Madrid this January by inviting Ronaldo to her party. Lopez was even wearing a Madrid shirt that night. She has adorned the jersey before as well, most memorably during a performance in Madrid in 2012. That’s not all. She’s been seen in the shirt while out with her significant other and her children as well.
She also showed up to support the side during a friendly against Everton in 2013 when she posed for a picture with the Euro winner and her partner.
#3 Shakira – Barcelona
While Shakira is a Barcelona fan now, she was singing a very different tune a few years prior. The Colombian singer used to be a self-confessed Real Madrid fan and was even presented with the no. 5 shirt by President Florentino Perez during. However, once she met Gerard Pique during the filming of the 2010 FIFA World Cup theme song ’Waka Waka’ the two became immediately inseparable.
Real Madrid even instated a rule that specified no songs by Shakira would be played at the Bernabeu after she made her relationship with the centre-back public. Nowadays she can be seen cheering her husband and the whole team on from the stands. The singer of ‘Hips don’t Lie’ fame was even joined on stage by members of the Barcelona squad including Pique, Pedro and Iniesta during a live performance to celebrate their Champions League success in 2011.
#2 Kobe Bryant – Barcelona
Kobe Bryant, the great basketball legend is nothing short of a Barcelona fanboy. The former LA Lakers player spent a chunk of his childhood in Italy where he grew to appreciate the sport and has shared a happy association with the Catalan club throughout his professional career. He is known to drop into Barcelona training sessions whenever he can and never fails to wish the outfit well on Twitter and congratulate them on their accomplishments.
When Bryant announced his retirement from the NBA, the club even offered him a contract with their famous basketball team according to Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo but declined the offer due to health reasons. He has also starred in an advertisement for Turkish Airlines with Lionel Messi.
#1 Rafel Nadal – Real Madrid
Tennis ace Rafael Nadal’s lifelong admiration for Real Madrid is no secret. He is a common fixture in the stands at home games in the Bernabeu and this in spite of his uncle Miguel Angel Nadal being a famous Barcelona defender. An honorary member of the club, the Real Madrid mega fan was most recently seen enjoying himself at the Champions League clash against Napoli.
When the Spaniard was accused of failing a drugs test last year, the Los Blancos released an official statement in support of him.
In February, in an interview to Marca, Nadal quipped, “Of course I'd like to be Real Madrid president. You never know what'll happen in the future. Anyhow, we have a great president now and I don't think Real Madrid will need me.”
