Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario did not include Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo in his list of the best players of all time when debating who is the greatest player in history. This will undoubtedly sting the Manchester United striker's "glass heart" again, making him feel insulted and disrespectful.
When the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid superstar talked about some of the best football talents in history in a television interview, he didn't even mention the 37-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or winner in a televised interview. This is undoubtedly another heavy blow to the Portuguese superstar, who has recently experienced the darkest moment of his football career. Ronaldo refused to come off the bench in last week's 2-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur and left the pitch before the end of the game, so he was temporarily removed from the Reds' first team squad and relegated to the Under-21 squad.
In an interview with The Guardian, the former Bernabeu superstar explained: "I think there is a very, very special combination that includes Diego (Manadona), Messi, Cruyfff, Beckenbauer, Pele, van Basten, Ronaldinho and others. Of course I'll join myself, but you can't rank these great players because you can't compare generations across generations. Let the fans judge it, let them argue in the bar. ”
When the host reminded him if he had forgotten that there was another great "Ronaldo" in the world, he said half-jokingly: "There is only one Ronaldo in the world, and he is sitting opposite you." ”
In the interview, the epoch-making superstar also reflected on his illustrious career. A two-time La Liga champion, Ronaldo Nazario also boasts that he won the Ballon d'Or twice in 1997 and 2002. The first of these two peak moments came when he was just 21 years old, making him the youngest Ballon d'Or winner ever. This record has not yet been broken, not even by Messi and Ronaldo.
The "real Ronaldo" lifted the Ballon d'Or trophy for the second time in 2002, when he also led Brazil to lift the Hercules Cup for the fifth time at the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan and was crowned World Cup goalscorer.
Many believe that the Brazilian could have achieved more if he had been fit throughout his career instead of a constant and severe knee injury. Jose Mourinho once described Ronaldo Nazario in an interview with Roma Sport: "He's the best footballer I've ever seen on the pitch. I think injuries killed a career that could have been more incredible. But the talent this guy has at 19 is incredible. ”