Brazilian icon Ronaldo Nazario has named his eight greatest footballers of all time – with no place for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo Nazario was one of football’s finest ever players. A deadly finisher and complete forward, the 47-year-old enjoyed an incredible career.
With spells at Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan, Ronaldo won countless trophies from 1993 until he retired in 2011.
The two-time World Cup winner also scored 62 goals in 98 caps for Brazil. Since hanging up his boots, he’s been involved as an owner with both Real Valladolid in Spain and boyhood club Cruzeiro in Brazil.
And speaking in 2022, Ronaldo picked out his top eight greatest footballers of all time. The double Ballon d’Or winner revealed his list to The Guardian, with one glaring omission.
Ronaldo Nazario’s Eight Greatest Players Of All Time
In the interview, Ronaldo said: “I think there is a very, very special group.
“Where you have Diego, Messi, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Pele, Van Basten, Ronaldinho.”
However, he left out Portuguese superstar and namesake Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo’s top eight players of all time were:
- Diego Maradona
- Pele
- Johan Cruyff
- Franz Beckenbauer
- Marco van Basten
- Lionel Messi
- Ronaldinho
- Himself (Ronaldo Nazario)
Ronaldo added: “I would include myself. Let the fans say, let them debate it in the bars.
“But you can’t rank them, can’t compare generations.”
The Brazilian certainly didn’t sit on the fence when it came to the Lionel Messi Vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate. There was no place for the Portuguese legend despite the 38-year-old’s 891 career goals.
There were several players on the list that Ronaldo Nazario wouldn’t have played with or against.
The likes of Maradona, Pele, Cruyff and Beckenbauer all played long before him, though each is an undisputed legend of the sport.
And despite spending much of his career lining up against both Messi and Marco van Basten, Ronaldo was never a teammate of either player.
Ronaldinho, on the other hand, was an international teammate for years. The pair were immense for Brazil in the early 2000s together, winning the 2002 World Cup.
They also linked up for AC Milan, with the duo both there in 2008.
With how prolific a striker he was, it’s perhaps not surprising to see Ronaldo also name himself amongst the top eight players of all time.
And if it’s any consolation to Cristiano Ronaldo, he’s not alone in being snubbed by R9.
Other legends who didn’t make the cut include Michel Platini, Alfredo Di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane, George Best and Ferenc Puskas.
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