The Brazilian Ronaldo has named who he thinks the eight greatest players of all-time are.
Ronaldo Nazario, 47, enjoyed a glittering career from 1993 to 2011, playing for the likes of Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan, while he also scored 62 times in 98 games for Brazil.
The former striker is one of the most iconic footballers of his generation and has since tried his hand at football ownership with Real Valladolid in Spain and his boyhood Brazilian side Cruzeiro.
And, speaking back in 2022 to The Guardian, Ronaldo - who netted 352 times in 518 games in his career and also won two Ballon d'Or awards - named the eight greatest players of all-time. However, he left one huge name off his list.
'I think there is a very, very special group,' he said. 'Where you have Diego, Messi, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Pele, Van Basten, Ronaldinho.
'I would include myself. Let the fans say, let them debate it in the bars.
'But you can’t rank them, can’t compare generations.'
The Brazilian snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo in favour of his long-time rival Lionel Messi, despite the Portuguese icon having scored 891 career goals and continuing to excel at the age of 38.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo's list included several players he wouldn't have played with.
Diego Maradona, Pele, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer are all from a previous era, although they are widely acclaimed as legends of the game.
Similarly, despite crossing over in his playing career with Marco van Basten and Lionel Messi, he was never a team-mate of either of the icons.
On the other hand, Ronaldo played with Ronaldinho at both AC Milan and for the Brazil national team.
The two stars were crucial in helping to drive the Selecao on throughout the early 2000s.
This included winning the World Cup together in 2002.
Given their partnership, it is perhaps no surprise that Ronaldo also named himself among the group of eight.
However, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, the likes of Michel Platini, Alfredo Di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane, George Best and Ferenc Puskas will all feel hard done by not to be mentioned.
itz_me_ojei
821
Most Ballond'Or in the History by Countries: Argentina 🇦🇷: 8️⃣ 🌕 (Mr: Lionel Messi). 🐐 Portugal 🇵🇹: 7️⃣ 🌕 (3 players). Germany 🇩🇪: 7️⃣ 🌕 (5 players). Netherlands 🇳🇱: 7️⃣ 🌕 (3 players). France 🇫🇷: 7️⃣ 🌕 (5 players). The One different from the rest, The Goat of football 🐐 🙌 ❤️
FootballKing08
686
Surely ONLY ONE MAN🐐👑🔝
FootballKing08
597
The Real RONALDO is truly R9💯 , Never let the media blind you on that🤫 , 5 UCLs isn't better than 1 WC not to mention of Two😅😅
El-Mosthigh
544
Lemme leave this one here in peace ✌️
EmmanuelKlicheeJr
465
the best
linus_jeef
401
He snubbed CR7 just because CR7 is better than him
FootballChief
344
To me CR7 is better than C9 in all round football. The only way C9 is slightly better is as no.9 but we all know CR7 is not a traditional no.9 but a midfielder who firstly reinvented himself as a deadly winger before finally transforming into the greatest goal scorer the FOOTBALL has witnessed in History. Put some respect on his name: CRISTIANO RONALDO
FootballKing08
321
" Greatest Goalscorer of All Time " but guess who has more Golden Boots👇💯😅🐐
Spizaetus
282
coming from a Barca fan. I guess 2 Ballon D'or is better than 5 Ballon D'or. Only someone without brains would place Nazario higher than CR7. Barca fans and jealousy
Did you ever watch R9 playing? Ask your father or uncle who is the better player R9 or CR7. When R9 is playing we called CR7 as fake Ronaldo or Ronaldo wannabe. If you dont believe me, just googling who is original Ronaldo 🤣
AkpomudiaNelson
227
can you compare your self with CR7. jealousy no go kill you
nebbiklorz
200
It’s ok, the only problem with R9 is he suffered from a debilitating disease. It’s called the bullet Train 🚅 disease. Don’t stand in front of it or splat 🦠The king 🤴 Ronaldo.
itz_me_ojei
134
Lionel Messi has conquered his final peak. Lionel Messi has shaken hands with paradise, the little boy from Rosario Santa Fe has just pitched up in Heaven. He climbs onto a galaxy of his own, he has his crowning moment. The Greatest Player of his age, finally has the Greatest accolade football can afford him, at the end one of the Greatest football matches ever played. He was beautiful, he was the point of difference, he has always been the point of difference. Unparalleled, and maybe today of course there will always be those who argue, always be those who debate, and the debate can rage on if you like but as he falls in love with the object in the world that his heart most desires, it is hard to escape this opposition that he has rendered himself today as, The Greatest of All Time. The last paragraph hits hard.
caspaclinton
12
He snubbed CR7 just because CR7 is better than him
Ronaldo fans are so sulky. a lot of the great football legends all choose Messi. why is that so? Because their jealous of CR7 wow!!!
SaadAkhtarKhan
12
Then Messi is better than Ronaldo 8 > 5 💯🤫
Pele has 3 world cups, does that mean he's 3x better than messi? lol barkans have the dumbest logic and reasoning. it's like a job specification, to be a barkan u have to be retarded
wuyaeiptu
12
There is a clear hate towards Cristiano Ronaldo Mann. There no reason to Leave him off that list. Even if you like Messi, Just pick Messi No.1 then pick Ronaldo No.2. There is no way top scorer of all football history is not making top 2 in the world.
it is not about who scored more than whom
sahbekorsz
11
The Real RONALDO is truly R9💯 , Never let the media blind you on that🤫 , 5 UCLs isn't better than 1 WC not to mention of Two😅😅
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Even in your dream you can't place Nazario Ronaldo beside Cristiano Ronaldo....even Nazario Ronaldo knew there is the better and best Ronaldo in CR7....Even all Nazario Ronaldo career goals and achievements are not close to Cristiano Ronaldo's goals and achievements in Madrid....Shame on Nazario and he just exposed himself as a man full of Hatred and disgraced himself further....Imagine placing Ronaldinho in GOAT debate ahead of CR7
deuaclmno
11
There is a clear hate towards Cristiano Ronaldo Mann. There no reason to Leave him off that list. Even if you like Messi, Just pick Messi No.1 then pick Ronaldo No.2. There is no way top scorer of all football history is not making top 2 in the world.
Unfortunately, now in days, you guys think whole football is about scoring goals.. tap in, penalties, and so on. If you do statistics in whole aspects of good footballer in the field, Ronaldo is not even top 20.
TemajungMichaelT
10
The Real RONALDO is truly R9💯 , Never let the media blind you on that🤫 , 5 UCLs isn't better than 1 WC not to mention of Two😅😅
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coming from a Barca fan. I guess 2 Ballon D'or is better than 5 Ballon D'or. Only someone without brains would place Nazario higher than CR7. Barca fans and jealousy
bezospaul
10
There is a clear hate towards Cristiano Ronaldo Mann. There no reason to Leave him off that list. Even if you like Messi, Just pick Messi No.1 then pick Ronaldo No.2. There is no way top scorer of all football history is not making top 2 in the world.
what do you expect brother.. seems u don't get the hate and jealousy yet.. remember he's name is Ronaldo too.. but CR7 is better than him that's why he chose to behave like cr7 doesn't exist.. lmao
BanAllVisitors
9
To me CR7 is better than C9 in all round football. The only way C9 is slightly better is as no.9 but we all know CR7 is not a traditional no.9 but a midfielder who firstly reinvented himself as a deadly winger before finally transforming into the greatest goal scorer the FOOTBALL has witnessed in History. Put some respect on his name: CRISTIANO RONALDO
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I agree on CR7 vs R9 but those stats are wrong. Ronaldo completed 132 dribbles in EPL and UCL in 2006/07. Messi completed only 11 less in La Liga and UCL in that same season. Messi completed 220 dribbles in La Liga and UCL in the 2011/12 season. Even if we add Ronaldo's dribbles completed in the domestic cup games and international games in 2006/07, I highly doubt they're better than Messi's total in La Liga + UCL in 2011/12, not to mention he'd have completed more in Copa Del Rey, Spanish Super Cup and international games as well.
FootballKing08
9
To me CR7 is better than C9 in all round football. The only way C9 is slightly better is as no.9 but we all know CR7 is not a traditional no.9 but a midfielder who firstly reinvented himself as a deadly winger before finally transforming into the greatest goal scorer the FOOTBALL has witnessed in History. Put some respect on his name: CRISTIANO RONALDO
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The only thing you will celebrate 🤡😂
Uncu
8
There is a clear hate towards Cristiano Ronaldo Mann. There no reason to Leave him off that list. Even if you like Messi, Just pick Messi No.1 then pick Ronaldo No.2. There is no way top scorer of all football history is not making top 2 in the world.
He said very special group (cr7 isn’t as special as talented as the listed players) stop crying.. he didn’t say Cristiano isn’t the 2nd best player of all time. You and your Cristiano are manipulative set of people; you all love to play the victim card at the slightest convenience.
FootballKing08
8
coming from a Barca fan. I guess 2 Ballon D'or is better than 5 Ballon D'or. Only someone without brains would place Nazario higher than CR7. Barca fans and jealousy
Then Messi is better than Ronaldo 8 > 5 💯🤫
Finian_Josh
8
what do you expect brother.. seems u don't get the hate and jealousy yet.. remember he's name is Ronaldo too.. but CR7 is better than him that's why he chose to behave like cr7 doesn't exist.. lmao
bro there's a reason they called original ronaldo the phenomenon. and only kids think that plastic ronaldo is the real ronaldo and I've witnessed r9 when I was young. 78% of crY fans haven't seen or watched him play match. they just see an edit and believe it 😂😂😂