“Left a beautiful history in football” – Ronaldo reveals his 2 idols in the game

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has named Brazilian stars Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho as his two idols while growing up.

The 36-year-old forward said that he's fascinated by the pair's accomplishments. Nazario won the World Cup in 1994 and 2002, while Ronaldinho was part of the latter edition. Ronaldo, however, does not prefer to pick the duo in any particular order.

In an interview with ESPN Brasil, the Portuguese superstar said in this regard:

"I don’t like comparisons. I prefer to say that the two )Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho) left their legacy, their history. I can say, by facts, that I won more individual titles than they did, but both won World Cups. I sympathise a lot with them. I grew up watching them both play. Saying who is the best, who is second, is not the most important thing. I prefer to say that they are idols, and left a beautiful history in football.”

Ronaldo and Ronaldinho were arguably two of the biggest stars in football during the early years of the 21st century. Ronaldo Nazario was one of the deadliest centre-forwards of his time, and played for some of the biggest clubs, including Real Madrid and Barcelona. The Brazilian star also won two Ballon d'Or (1997 and 2002).

Ronaldinho, meanwhile, was renowned for his skill and ability on the ball. The former Barcelona number 10 also won the Ballon d'Or award (in 2005). The 41-year-old also played for European giants like Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan.

2022 could be the last chance for Cristiano Ronaldo to win the FIFA World Cup

At the age of 36, it is safe to assume that Cristiano Ronaldo has only got one realistic opportunity to win the World Cup with Portugal. However, Portugal haven't yet qualified for the showpiece event in Qatar this year.

After finishing second in their group, the Euro 2016 winners are in the World Cup playoffs, where they are drawn against Turkey. If they beat them, they will face either Italy or North Macedonia for a berth at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The closest Ronaldo has come to lifting the FIFA World Cup was in 2006 when Portugal reached the semi-finals, where they lost to France. They then lost the third-place playoff game to hosts Germany.