Cristiano Ronaldo's growth at Manchester United has propelled the Portuguese master to the top, and his presence at Real Madrid has redefined La Liga, and even now, his career is still thriving at Old Trafford.
Perhaps the most prolific goalscorer in modern football, Cristiano Ronaldo has broken many records, some of which he has even created himself. He won his first Ballon d'Or at the age of 23, and at 36 he is still vying for the most prestigious individual award in world football.
With the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo, only a handful of players have made more than 1,100 career appearances and scored nearly 800 goals. Notably, he also has the most goals and assists in The history of the Champions League. During his career, Cristiano Ronaldo won 32 major trophies, including serie A titles, La Liga titles, Premier League titles and the Champions League.
He is an outstanding world-class player in every way and judging by his current goal numbers at Manchester United, Ronaldo is not ready to slow down. The Portuguese star is by far the most influential athlete in the world. He has the largest number of followers on social media on almost any social media platform, which speaks volumes about how prominent the star has become.
His teammates, rival players, coaches and even football legends are in awe of him. His personal achievements are countless, the trophies he has won are innumerable, and he is one of the most popular athletes in the world.
Let's take a look at how other legends have rated Cristiano Ronaldo, including his only rival Messi.
10. Eusebio
Before Cristiano Ronaldo, there is another Portuguese legend, Eusebio, who scored 733 goals in 745 games and swept across Europe.
The legendary striker has been the deadliest weapon at his peak, saying of Cristiano Ronaldo: "He has magic in his sneakers, and for such a young man, he is very fast, very, very powerful. He's well controlled, and his technique is great. He believes he can do anything with the ball, and that confidence makes him very special. ”
9. John Cruyff
Prior to joining Barcelona in 1988, John Cruyff was already a three-time Ballon d'Or winner. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest players in the history of football, with other highly successful players including George Best and Dennis Law, whom Cruyff compared to Cristiano Ronaldo:
"Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Giorgio Best and Dennis Law in United history."
8. Bobby Charlton
Sir Bobby Charlton, best known for winning the World Cup and The Ballon d'Or for England, survived the Munich air disaster in 1958. He remained at Old Trafford and led United back to the top of English and European football.
The legend has experienced a lot in his football career, and when Cristiano Ronaldo was still at Real Madrid, he said of Cristiano Ronaldo: "Cristiano Ronaldo is changing the sport of football in Spain, and with his speed, strength and athleticism, he is pushing Real Madrid to regain its dominance in Europe. I'm glad he won the World Footballer of the Year award and Messi is a great player too, but Cristiano deserves it and he's lighting the fire of football. ”
7. Mourinho
The relationship between Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo has not always been rosy, with Mourinho being Real Madrid manager from 2010 to 2013, when he managed Ronaldo and other teams.
During this time, Mourinho criticized Ronaldo for not being able to accept criticism, explaining: "Maybe (Cristiano Ronaldo) thinks he knows everything himself and the coach doesn't need to improve him anymore..."
However, this does not diminish Mourinho's praise for Ronaldo:
"I've seen Maradona a few times, I've never met Pele, but Cristiano is amazing. This guy is the best, Cristiano is a goal machine. He's an incredible player. He was like Zidane, who would never have another Ronaldo. ”
6. Ronaldo
Ronaldo was one of the few players to excel at both Barcelona and Real Madrid, with the Brazilian being the strongest striker of the 90s and 2000s. Injuries may often hinder his progress, but that hasn't stopped him from scoring goals almost every time he plays.
Notably, he received the prestigious FIFA World Footballer of the Year at the age of 20 and the Ballon d'Or at the age of 21. He said of C Rorello:
"I train because I'm forced to do it, he trains because he likes it. Few players can care so much about their bodies, so eager to improve themselves, he can't believe it. ”
5. Robbie Ryan
In the 2004 FA Cup final, Robbie Ryan had to face Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite his excellent performance in the final, they had absolutely no chance of facing Manchester United to win.
However, for Robbie Ryan, staring at Cristiano Ronaldo during the game was a very memorable moment. He said:
"I've never played a game like this with anyone in my life and I'm happy to be replaced."
4. Ferguson
Cristiano Ronaldo once referred to Alex Ferguson as a father, and many of United's great players shared this view, and it was Ferguson who brought the star from Atletico Deportivo Portugal to the Theatre of Dreams.
It was Ferguson who gave Ronaldo the playing time he needed, thus greatly improving his career. Cristiano Ronaldo is back at United and his goal-scoring skills are still at their peak. For Ferguson, Ronaldo was the best player of all time, saying:
'In the 20 years I've been coaching, we've had some great players, but he's the best.
3. Zidane
When Zizou was a real Madrid player, he won 6 major titles, including the UEFA Champions League. When he returned as head coach, he gave the Whites 11 fantastic trophies, 7 of which came from continental Europe.
He said of Cristiano Ronaldo: "When you're with Ronaldo, you're already 1-0 ahead. ”
2. Carlos Queros
He may not have been great during his time at the Bernabeu, but his job as assistant manager at Manchester United was outstanding. As the second most important person after Ferguson, Queiroz coached Ronaldo and the Red Devils for five years.
This gave him an insight into Ronaldo's genius and compared him to Michael Jordan: "(He) is a world star, just like Michael Jordan is in basketball... They were all endowed with a talent they had never had before. ”
1. Messi
The two players have been on the podium of the Ballon d'Or many times over the past decade, and there is clearly no better player than them. When Messi was in Barcelona, the matchups against Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid attracted spectators from all over the world, and everyone wanted to see the two superstars compete against each other.
Their rivalry is shaped by their individual differences, but that didn't stop Messi from appreciating Ronaldo, who commented:
"(Ronaldo) always scores in all the matches, for clubs and national teams. He's been doing this for years, and it makes no difference whether he's at the top or undervalued. ”