Many people believe that Lionel Messi is the best football player ever to have played the sport. Then, for some, Cristiano Ronaldo comes out on top.
Even some people think that Pele or Diego Maradona should be considered the greatest players of all time, but Jose Mourinho is not one of them. Rather, the “special one” thinks that the greatest player to ever play football is Ronaldo Nazario, a legend from Brazil.
Long before Messi and Ronaldo became well-known, Ronaldo, or “R9,” as he is commonly called, was a worldwide superstar and is still held in high regard by many in his native Portugal. During a brilliant career that saw him play for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, the Brazilian won two World Cups and two Ballon d’Or trophies. However, he was unable to win the Champions League.
The Selecao star endured severe knee injuries that frequently hindered him, in contrast to Messi and Ronaldo, who have both stayed healthy and avoided major long-term injuries for the majority of their careers. While the Brazilian was playing for Barcelona, Mourinho had a close-up look at his formative years.
It appears that Ronaldo left an impression on Mourinho, the Portuguese coach who was an interpreter at Camp Nou under the legendary boss Bobby Robson. Mourinho stated to LiveScore, “El Fenomeno, Ronaldo. Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been at the top of the game every day for 15 years; their careers have lasted longer.
“But when it comes to pure talent and ability, no one can match Ronaldo. I realised he was the best player I had ever seen on the pitch when he was at Barcelona with Bobby Robson.”.
“Injuries killed a career that could have been even more incredible, but the talent that that 19-year-old boy had was something incredible.”
Mourinho is not alone in believing that, when all is said and done, Ronaldo is at the top of the list. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the former star of AC Milan and Barcelona, has expressed a similar opinion before.
The legend from Sweden declared, “Ronaldo is the greatest,” in his opinion. “He performed on par with Pele. Nobody else resembled him. Nobody has had a greater impact on football than the players who became Ronaldo.
“In my room, I have pictures of Ronaldo up. The man was Ronaldo, not just due to his World Cup goals and stepovers. Ronaldo excelled in every aspect.”.
“A man who made an impact was exactly what I aspired to be. My idol was Ronaldo, so I tried to mimic his movements by studying him online and felt like I was developing into a fantastic player.”
There will never be an end to the argument over who is the greatest. Football beauty is subjective, and Mourinho has never hidden who, in his opinion, is the best of the best.
