Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has declared himself the best-ever player in the game, rating himself above bitter rival Lionel Messi; Argentina’s Diego Maradona; and the legendary Pele of Brazil.
Debates over who will be regarded as the Greatest of all Time (GOAT) in football have been raging over the years, pitting mostly Ronaldo and Messi. Both have won 13 Ballon d’Ors – five for the Portuguese and eight for the Argentine football wizard.
Before now, Ronaldo and Messi have been compared with Pele – who won three World Cups – and Maradona who scooped the 1986 edition of the competition.
But in a recent interview with La Sexta, Ronaldo said he is the better player among the trio whose names have at various times been regarded as the greatest person to feature in the game.
“I think I’m the most complete player there has ever been. That’s my opinion. It could be a question of taste but I think it’s me. I do everything in football. I head well, I take set pieces well, I shoot well with my left foot, I’m fast, I’m strong, I jump,” he said in the now-viral interview.
“Taste is one thing, saying this, that or that, whether you prefer Messi, Pele, or Maradona, I hear it and I respect it but to say that Cristiano isn’t complete is a lie. I’m the most complete. I don’t see anyone better than me and I tell you that with all my heart.”
Ronaldo, 39, is one of the most prolific scorers in the game. Currently featuring for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, the forward is inching to reach a record-setting 1,000 career goals.
Already, he has netted 923 goals in 1,261 for both club and country. Though he aims to reach the 1,000-goal mark, Ronaldo believes he has done enough to earn the best player in history tag.
“Even if I score 920, 925, or 930 goals, the best in history is me,” he said. “Period.”
Ronaldo featured for Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
