Soccer Fans Have Begun Calling Ronaldo ‘Homelander’ — Here Are 8 Other World Cup Stars That Compare To Comic Book Characters

Cristiano Ronaldo has been one of the stories of the 2026 World Cup so far. In Portugal’s first match, he looked to be a hindrance on the team. In their second match, he scored the first two goals in a 5-0 win.

The 41-year-old soccer legend seems to be experiencing a “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain arc,” as soccer fans across the globe have begun to call him “Homelander,” the egomaniacal supervillain from the popular Prime Video superhero series The Boys.

According to soccer fans, the similarities between the two derive from a desire for complete control, intense emotional reactions, inflated self-worth and a rampant God complex — all of which has only been recently exacerbated by Ronaldo’s slipping battle with father time.

He reminds me of homelander https://t.co/C8yJ2Y0VX3

— IcyVert (@IcyVert) June 23, 2026

The fact that punching the referee even crossed his mind is killing me.

Homelander is not a real human 😭 https://t.co/7ZqyFXEaO7 pic.twitter.com/UHTQnuhfhC

— MP𖤐 (@MagicalPep) June 23, 2026

“Just seen Ronaldo referred to as Homelando and I can’t unsee it,” one viral tweet read.

“Homelando gonna now try slap 35 yard shots every 3 minutes later today ffs, rip to those in Row Z,” a second added.

This Ronaldo- homelander edit kills me everytime 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/cDnnvPMHr0 https://t.co/cKnYB6RMRV

— Ray (@Ray_RMCF) June 18, 2026

U’ll only pass it to me won’t u bruno ? pic.twitter.com/4ljYcdshgn

— Ch1rag.ś (@Ch1ragjpg) June 17, 2026

With Ronaldo now being referred to as “Homelando,” it got us thinking about what other stars at the World Cup have comic book comparisons.

If Ronaldo is Homelander, who are some other World Cup stars with comparisons to comic book characters?

Lionel Messi is Spider-Man

Although Superman might be the first superhero you think of when it comes to Lionel Messi given his status as the GOAT — similar to Superman being seen as the epitome of superheroes — Spider-Man is actually the more apt comparison, both physically (Messi famously does not have overwhelming physical gifts) and metaphorically.

They’re both two of the most popular cultural figures in the world, are slight of stature compared to their colleagues, genuinely humble after coming from a modest upbringing, and carry the weight of their city/country on their back whenever called upon.

Erling Haaland is The Hulk

If Erling Haaland is one half of the buddy comedy duo of Thor and the Hulk from Thor: Ragnarok, it may not be the one you’d expect given their respective Nordic origins.

An otherworldly physical force that seems as though he was created in a lab, Erling Haaland is the Hulk of the soccer world (not to be confused with the actual former Brazilian international *named* Hulk). And yet, despite his physical dominance, when he’s not Hulking-out, he comes across as a seemingly affable, mild-mannered regular guy, much like Bruce Banner.

Luka Modric is Professor X

The slowest and oldest of his ilk, Luka Modric — who seems to be hiding a Professor X-like dome under his famous flop of hair — is able to see what’s happening on the pitch multiple moves ahead of everyone else and has an apparent preternatural ability to read the minds of his teammates and opponents, making him the longtime leader of his team.

Kylian Mbappe is Loki

Kylian Mbappe and Loki both move through time and space in a far different way than mere mortals, and have the potential to be one of the great superheroes, but are held back by personalities and self-actualized greatness — both believing they’re the chosen one — that drives them into prideful anti-heroism.

Mbappe is one of the best players in the world. But he’s also been jokingly referred to as a “dictator” and is coming off a tumultuous pair of debut seasons with Real Madrid, which was paralleled by his former club, Paris Saint-Germain, winning two Champions League titles in his absence. Perhaps Mbappe’s arc ends like Loki’s, though, and complete his journey to full-blown heroics.

Virgil Van Dijk is The Thing

Dutch captain Virgil Van Dijk and Fantastic Four stalwart The Thing are both rock solid — physically and emotionally, as they’re highly-dependable, reliable, and loyal — possess an apparent inability to age, and proudly serve as the emotional heartbeat of their teams as unpretentious brick walls that are covered in orange.

Thierry Henry is Nick Fury

Cool, calm, collected, and bald (this is key, as they both pull it off better than most), Thierry Henry and Nick Fury know more than everyone else around them, are always watching, and remain cold as ice throughout. They may not be in the field themselves anymore, but they still command the unadulterated respect of the superheroes (world class soccer players) whenever they enter the room.

Mohamed Salah is Black Panther

With the nickname “The Egyptian King” and a resume that makes him Africa’s greatest ever player,  Egypt’s Mohamed Salah is like King T’Challa/Black Panther: the dignified leader of his people who’s quietly one of the best in the world and can always be counted on when the chips are down.

Alexi Lalas is J. Jonah Jameson

Loud, contrarian, always in the media, and frequently wrong, divisive Fox analyst Alexi Lalas may not be a superhero, but he does have a comic book comparison: J. Jonah Jameson, the infamously outlandish Editor in Chief of The Daily Bugle who spends his career desperately trying to take down Spider-Man, akin to Lalas’s fixation with Americanizing the world of soccer.