The U.S .Presidential race is going down to the wire and with Barack Obama and Mitt Romney looking to sway those undecided voters , the U.S. president has secured the backing of an unlikely supporter -- Cristiano Ronaldo . The Real Madrid star is widely seen as one of the two greatest footballers on the planet at present , along with Barcelona rival Lionel Messi , and knows what it takes to win , with a trophy cabinet boasting medals for the Champions League , the English Premier League as well as the Spanish League and Cup . Never afraid to seek the limelight , the Portuguese joins former Manchester United colleague Wayne Rooney in outlining how he would exercise his vote in the U.S. elections should he have one -- with both men identifying with the White House 's current resident . `` I like the way he speaks with people , his communication -- I think it 's always firm what he says -- and I would like to meet him because he 's an honest person , '' Ronaldo exclusively told CNN . Last month , England star Rooney revealed a hitherto-unseen political interest after the third and final televised debate between the Democrat and Republic candidates . `` Watched all the presidential debates . If I had to vote , would vote Obama , '' tweeted Rooney , who has over five million Twitter followers . Neither Rooney nor Ronaldo can vote in the elections given their nationalities but Obama can count on some similarly heavyweight sporting figures back home -- with baseball legends Willie Mays and Hank Aaron having both pledged their support to the Democrat . New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston has been one of the largest donors to the Obama campaign , pledging $ 73,000 , while Carmelo Anthony , Chris Bosh and the legendary Michael Jordan were among a bevy of NBA stars who participated in August 's 'Obama Classic ' , a fund-raising basketball event which drew a host of stars . Celebrity endorsement . Despite the credentials of those standing behind their man , a leading Professor of American Studies warned that the impact of such celebrity endorsement is far weaker now than it has been in years gone by . `` The candidates are hoping to grab a bit of airtime , free advertising in effect , through these stars but there are so many different channels of information that this gets diluted now , '' says Alabama-born Scott Lucas from the University of Birmingham in England . `` There has just been so much more to focus on at this election , in that it has been such a close race . The stars can create a bit of a ripple , and it 's a nice talking point , but it 's not the same as it was 20 years ago when the Hollywood left used to make an impact . `` Today , the biggest celebrity is ( former U.S. President ) Bill Clinton and when he came out this weekend he got the type of treatment that is usually reserved for sports and entertainment celebrities -- the issue for the Republicans is that they have no one to match Clinton 's impact . '' Romney supporters . That may be , but Republican candidate Romney does have the backing of one of the biggest sporting icons in United States history -- former golfer Jack Nicklaus , whose tally of 18 Majors is still unsurpassed . Now 72 , Nicklaus -- who rallied Cincinatti Bengals fans to vote for the Republicans ahead of their game this weekend -- could help Romney in the key voting state of Ohio , where the 'Golden Bear ' lives . Other leading sports figures backing Romney are fellow golfer Rickie Fowler , tennis ' four-time Major winner Jim Courier , legendary NFL quarterback John Elway and Mike Eruzione , who captained the U.S. to 1980 Olympic glory following the famous Miracle of Ice win over the Soviet Union . `` It has been over 10 years , so many of you may have forgotten , but in 2002 , due to bribery scandals and mismanagement , the Olympics - not just those Games - but the Olympics as an institution - were threatened . Thankfully , Mitt Romney was there , to salvage a desperate situation , '' Eruzione said of a man who helped restore some order to Salt Lake City 's controversial hosting of the Winter Olympics . `` Just like the Olympics needed Mitt 's leadership 10 years ago , America desperately needs Mitt Romney 's leadership today . Please join me in making him the next President of the United States ! '' On Monday , both Obama and Romney spent the final hours of the campaign making a mad dash through battleground states in a late push to sway a closely divided electorate ahead of Tuesday 's election . In a final 24 hours , Obama and Romney -- or their campaign surrogates , including their wives and the vice presidential candidates -- are scheduled to make stops in Ohio , Iowa , Florida , Virginia , Colorado , Wisconsin , Nevada , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and New Hampshire . The push comes as national polls show the race is tied . A new CNN poll showed 49 % support for Obama and 49 % for Romney .
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo says he would vote for Barack Obama if he could . Portuguese joins former Manchester United colleague Wayne Rooney in supporting Obama above Mitt Romney . The campaign is backed by Jack Nicklaus , Jim Courier and John Elway among others .