Fact: Cristiano Ronaldo claims best footballer of all time
In an interview with CNN Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, lays his cards on the table without hesitation: he calls himself the best footballer of all time. The Portuguese star, who last weekend scored his 980th goal for Al Nassr, emphasizes that the numbers speak for themselves.
Goals, confidence and rivalry
Ronaldo states that his confidence has not taken a hit at all, despite the controversy surrounding his departure from the national team. He points out that he is now at 980 goals and needs another 20 to reach the magical milestone of 1,000.
The star says: “I respect people who prefer Messi, Maradona or Pelé. It’s a matter of taste. But saying that I am not a complete footballer is a lie. I am the most complete footballer. The numbers speak for themselves.”
Ronaldo adds that it does not matter to him whether he scores 920, 925 or 930 goals: “I am the best, plain and simple.” He stresses that everything must happen naturally and that reaching 1,000 goals is not a huge objective, but potentially a fantastic result.
Ronaldo says he is the complete player over Messi, Maradona and Pelé
Conflict with national team coach and future
Last week Ronaldo issued a sharp statement in which he accused national team coach Jorge Jesus of breaking his word twice during the international break. He did not get any playing time in the match against Norway, even though he had warmed up on the sidelines and Jesus had asked him earlier that day to play for half an hour.
The Portuguese football federation has set up a disciplinary committee that launched an investigation into Ronaldo’s departure and imposed a provisional suspension on him. Ronaldo declared that he remains available for the national team and will accept any sanction.
Regarding his future, Ronaldo says: “I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Maybe I’ll show up demotivated and not want to play anymore. I just don’t know.” He indicates that he is not yet ready to think about a possible retirement.
This interview was published by Sven Van Londersele Sport and originates from CNN Portugal, with the Portuguese star making his point clear without any hesitation.