Sports fans are passionate, loyal, and deeply invested—but they’re not always immune to believing a good rumour. A recent survey revealed just how frequently fans across different sports fall for misinformation about their favourite teams and athletes.
In football specifically, 70% of fans admit to believing rumours that later turned out to be false. Speculation about athletes and teams is a regular part of the experience, with 77% of sports fans—across all disciplines—saying they encounter rumours at least weekly or daily. However, this frequency can vary significantly depending on the sport.
Within football alone, 40% of fans report encountering rumours daily, with another 46%experiencing them weekly—reflecting the relentless cycle of transfer gossip, scandals, and off-pitch drama.
Man Utd is the most gossiped-about team in football while Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list of rumoured personalities
High-profile teams often find themselves at the centre of the rumour mill, and for good reason. More than half of respondents said they’ve encountered rumours about Manchester United, making it the most gossiped-about team in football.
Other Premier League powerhouses such as Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelseaaren’t far behind, reflecting the intense scrutiny faced by top-tier clubs with global fan bases.
Some sporting icons seem like permanent fixtures in the headlines. Topping the list is Cristiano Ronaldo, with nearly half of respondents saying they’ve encountered rumours about him—no surprise given his global fame and polarising presence. Lionel Messi, the other half of football’s historic rivalry, isn’t far behind.
Closer to home, England stars like Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, and Jude Bellinghamalso rank highly.
Twitter is the biggest source of sport gossip
Twitter and general media are the top sources, with 42% of fans reporting that they encounter sports rumours most frequently on these platforms.
Close behind are YouTube (31%) and sports news websites (39%), which are common hubs for sensationalised headlines and clickbait content.
Even personal networks aren’t immune, with 23% of fans reporting that they encounter rumours through friends or family. This shows that fake news doesn’t just spread online but it can also travel through word-of-mouth.
Injury or health updates are the most trusted types of rumours
Not all rumours are equal when it comes to believability. The data shows that injury or health updates are the stories fans are most likely to believe, with 43% of respondents rating them as highly believable.
Transfer rumours follow closely, with 33% of fans admitting they’d likely believe these kinds of stories.
