Cristiano Ronaldo most searched soccer star on Google in India

NEW DELHI: As the World Cup fever grips fans across the globe, Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged as the most searched player on google in India, with Brazil topping the list country-wise.

Real Madrid striker Ronaldo remained the most sought-after with a distinctive lead over Argentinian star Lionel Messi and Brazil's Neymar.

English footballer Wayne Rooney and Spanish star Fernando Torres take the fourth and fifth spot on google search.

Online support by Indian fans for their favourite teams and players is creating a lot of buzz even before the kick- off.

More than three billion people are expected to watch the month-long tournament.

Brazil has always been a favourite for Indian fans and even for the upcoming World Cup, they are keeping a close look on the five-time champions.

Football teams representing England, Argentina, Spain and Italy are also among the top favourites for Indians.

Queries from India around FIFA have shown tremendous spike as the World Cup starts on June 12. While Kerala leads the pack, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have also shown interest. World Cup Schedule, squads and the theme song have been some of the prominent searches on web by the Indians.