As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches in just a few weeks, fresh findings from Specops, a subsidiary of Outpost24, show that Lionel Messi appears more frequently in compromised password databases than Cristiano Ronaldo in an unusual comparison this year.
By analyzing a database containing over 6.4 billion stolen passwords, Specops researchers discovered that the name Messi was present more than 1.2 million times, compared to approximately 923,000 instances of Ronaldo, representing a difference of about 26%. This finding comes as 300 million additional compromised passwords are added to Specops Breached Password Protection, obtained from the company's honeypot network and threat intelligence sources.
Top 10 most common player names found in compromised password data
The analysis shows a change in naming trends across generations. Five of the top ten names (Vinicius, Saka, Gavi, Isak, Pedri) are those of players who have become prominent in recent years, whereas Salah and Kane are known as long-standing stars. This combination indicates that password selections are not merely based on tradition, but also on the athletes that fans are currently following. It also highlights some subpar choices when it comes to the legacies that parents pass on to their children.
Top 10 commonly backed clubs in leaked password information
Roma leads the rankings with 5.3 million mentions, significantly ahead of the rest, although this advantage is likely due more to the city of Rome itself rather than fans of AS Roma. Notable mentions include Liverpool, which fell just short of the top 10, losing its position to Merseyside rivals Everton by over 90,000 mentions—a rare victory for the blue side of the city. But... Everton?
Why soccer team names create poor passwords
Individuals must keep track of an increasing number of login details, leading them to choose what is simplest to remember: a beloved athlete, a club they've supported for years, or a significant victory. These same characteristics that make such passwords easy to recall also render them vulnerable to hackers.
Recent data theft leaks verify the trend. Examples of actual stolen passwords obtained from one of the most significant recent breaches include:
- Cristianoronaldo7@@
- Cr7ronaldo@?
- zidaneisbetterthanmbappe1234
- lionelmessithebest10
- lionelmessithegoat10
- mrs_kylianmbappe
- kylianmbappeg04t
A password such as "Cr7ronaldo@?" satisfies typical complexity requirements and seems strong, yet it can be easily guessed by an attacker who knows the user is a Ronaldo supporter, even before the password is exposed. Hackers don't enter passwords by hand. Instead, they use tools like Hashcat or John the Ripper with wordlists and apply rule-based changes: adding years, replacing letters with numbers, or including symbols. When a well-known term appears in a wordlist, all possible variations are automatically available.
Compromised password databases worsen the issue. Every new exposure of "Cr7ronaldo" or a similar variation is targeted more intensely in subsequent attacks, and users often reuse or make minimal changes to their passwords, meaning a sports-related credential that's been breached in one situation can quickly serve as an access point elsewhere.
Defending against credential-based attacks
To minimize the potential threats that common, compromised, or easily guessed passwords pose to corporate systems, companies should take into account:
- Implementing a minimum password length of 15 characters, or enabling assistance for extended passphrases.
- Needing various character types: capital letters, small letters, digits, and symbols.
- Creating a tailored dictionary that restricts commonly used words and phrases pertinent to the organization.
- Utilizing a compromised password database to stop users from choosing passwords that have been exposed.
This month's update to Specops Breached Password Protection includes over 4.6 million newly exposed passwords in the express dataset utilized by Specops Password Auditor, enabling organizations to detect password vulnerabilities more precisely. Specops Password Auditor conducts a read-only scan of Active Directory and delivers a free report highlighting weak policies, compromised credentials, and outdated or inactive accounts. Specops Password Policy with Breached Password Protection offers continuous protection by scanning Active Directory against over 6.1 billion known compromised passwords on an ongoing basis.
The results were developed by the Specops Research Team.
The post Messi outperforms Ronaldo in the World Cup password breaches
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