 |
|
February 9, 2025
The debate about which footballer is the greatest of all-time is one which has divided supporters across the world for many decades. Pelé, Maradona and Lionel Messi immediately come into the equation, but Cristiano Ronaldo believes statistics provide a definitive answer...
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star believes he is "the most complete player to have existed" and says the numbers back up his claims. There is undoubtedly plenty of merit to Ronaldo’s comments given that his staggering goalscoring exploits continue to defy traditional conventions. His double in Al-Nassr’s 4-0 AFC Champions League win over Al-Wasl on Monday took his career tally to 923 goals and forced bookmakers across Asia into making sizeable payouts. Even some of the best betting sites in Bangladesh were hit hard as punters wagered on Ronaldo to get on the scoresheet for the Saudi Pro League (SPL) club.
Cristiano Ronaldo - A Premier League legacy
Ronaldo is unequivocal in his belief that he stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to his achievements in professional football.
Ronaldo told Spanish television show El Chiringuito: "Who's the best goal scorer in history? It's about numbers - full stop.
"Who's the player in history who's scored most goals with their head, their left foot, penalties, free kicks?"
"I was looking the other day, and not being left-footed, I'm in the top ten goal scorers with their left foot in history. And with my head, and with my right foot, and penalties. All of them."
"I think I'm the most complete player to have existed. In my opinion, I think it's me. I do everything well in football - with my head, free kicks, left foot. I'm fast, I'm strong."
"One thing is taste - if you like Messi, Pelé, Maradona, I understand that and I respect that. But saying Ronaldo isn't complete? I'm the most complete."
"I haven't seen anybody better than me, and I say it from the heart."
While Ronaldo is adamant that he deserves to be called the greatest of all-time, his critics argue that he significantly damaged his legacy by moving to the Middle East.
His move to the Saudi Pro League was the catalyst for numerous other top players to leave European football and carve out new careers in Saudi Arabia.
Many people argue that Major League Soccer (MLS), where Messi is currently plying his trade with Inter Miami, is a higher level of competition than the SPL.
However, while Messi can unquestionably be categorised as a superstar, MLS is packed with veterans or journeymen players who have failed elsewhere.
By contrast, Al-Nassr have just splashed the cash to sign striker Jhon Duran from Aston Villa. The 21-year-old has his career ahead of him and is a statement signing by the SPL giants.
Statistics from the recently concluded transfer window paint a telling picture, with SPL clubs focusing their efforts on signing players at the younger end of the scale.
There were over 50 incoming transfers completed by SPL clubs, and more than half of them were aged 23 or under. This investment in future talent will pay dividends further down the line.
When asked about the quality of the SPL, Ronaldo slammed its critics. "People don't know, they give their opinion, they talk too much," he added. "It's a shame, because it's a different reality when people talk about Saudi Arabia and the US.
“Is Major League Soccer worse? Obviously, but as it's Saudi Arabia, it's disrespected. People don't know what they're talking about. With those players who are here, you have to respect it."
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on February 13, against Al Ahli for the Saudi Pro League. You can watch Al Ahli vs Al Nassr, Leganes vs Real Madrid, Valencia vs Barça, Man United vs Leicester City, Newcastle vs Arsenal and Milan vs AS Roma, all matches provided from our sports streaming game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Ahli vs Al Al Nassr kick-off time (13-02-2025):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+7: 00:30
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 22:00
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+2: 19:30
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 18:30
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 17:30
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 14:30
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 13:30
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 10:30
Sources: ronaldo7.net / x.com / bbc.co.uk
ARCHIVE:
2010 -/- 2011 -/- 2012 -/- 2013 -/- 2014 -/- 2015 -/- 2016 -/- 2017
2018 -/- 2019 -/- 2020 -/- 2021 -/- 2022 -/- 2023
