Cristiano Ronaldo turns 40 on Wednesday, but he’s not thinking about retirement yet. And why should he? After all, he is the best footballer of all time. Says Cristiano Ronaldo.
For years, this was a hotly debated topic in schoolyards around the world. Who is the better footballer: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? It’s a difficult question to answer. Their playing styles, physiques and abilities are all quite different.
It is also clear that their characters did not harmonize particularly well, and Messi and Ronaldo never became friends, if only because of the eternal rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. However, the relationship is now good, as CR7 emphasized shortly before his milestone birthday. “It was a healthy rivalry, we got along,” he said on El Chiringuito.
But when it comes to who is better, even the best of all time, Ronaldo is clear. “I think I’m the most complete player who ever existed. It may ultimately be a matter of personal preference, but I don’t see anyone who is better than me,” said the Al-Nassr striker, who is once again leading the Saudi Professional League scoring charts with 15 goals. “I’m strong in the air, I take direct free kicks well, I score with both feet, I’m fast, I’m strong and I jump high.” No one has ever been more complete than he is.
, which should ensure the next schoolyard discussions are inevitable. What is undisputed, however, is that his goal rate is right: just like the legendary Pelé, he still pursues the goal of breaking the 1000-goal mark in club and national team games. “If I end up with 920, 925 or 930 goals, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m the best in history. Full stop. If I reach 1000 goals, great. If not, that’s fine too. Numbers don’t lie,” said the 2016 European champion from Portugal. He scored his 900th goal in the Nations League last September, and with 135 goals in 217 appearances for Portugal, he holds the international record.
Ronaldo also had some critical words to say – but none about himself. Some of the coaches he has faced during his career have been “completely clueless,” said the five-time world footballer. “I’ve had some really bad coaches.”
During his career, the goal scorer played under José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Alex Ferguson, Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag, among others. During his second stint at Manchester United (2021 to 2022), he had voiced fierce criticism of interim manager Rangnick and his successor ten Hag before leaving the English record champions for Saudi Arabia in a dispute.
As reported by various media outlets based there, including Al Khabar, the Portuguese will extend his contract with Al-Nassr, which was originally due to expire in the summer, by a year.