'I won title with Cristiano Ronaldo - neither he nor Lionel Messi is world's greatest'
'I won title with Cristiano Ronaldo - neither he nor Lionel Messi is world's greatest'
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Jose Mourinho doesn't think either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of all time. Ronaldo celebrates his 40th birthday on Wednesday, displaying his otherworldly longevity across a glittering career which includes five Ballons d'Or and five Champions League trophies. The Al-Nassr forward scored a brace earlier this week - 23 years after his professional debut - as he looks to close in on a record 1,000 goals before hanging up his boots.
For over a decade, the Portuguese icon competed with Messi for the title of the world's greatest. Ronaldo and Messi enjoyed titanic battles at the peak of Real Madrid and Barcelona's rivalry, making fifty-plus goals a season appear normal while shattering the records of other former greats. However, despite their combined total of 13 Ballons d'Or, legendary manager Mourinho believes that in terms of pure ability, neither matched the skill of Ronaldo Nazario de Lima. That is despite the Portuguese being well aware of Messi and Cristiano’s talents, having coached the latter to a La Liga title during his three-year stint in Madrid, where his team was also regularly tormented by the diminutive Argentine.
Fenerbahce boss Mourinho gave LiveScore his verdict on the greatest player ever, saying: "Ronaldo, El Fenomeno. Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had longer careers, they have remained at the top every day for 15 years. "However, if we are talking strictly about talent and skill, nobody surpasses Ronaldo. Injuries killed a career that could have been even more incredible, but the talent that that 19-year-old boy had was something incredible.".
The Brazilian, who retired in 2011, won the World Cup twice while collecting two Ballons d’Or. At his peak for Barcelona and Inter Milan in the late 1990s, he was dubbed ‘O Fenomeno’ (The Phenomenon) for his mind-bending combination of technique, speed, finishing, skill and raw power. Mourinho witnessed his incredible talent in person while working as an understudy and translator to the great Bobby Robson during Ronaldo’s only season (1996/1997) in Barcelona.
Sadly, the South American’s serious knee injuries hampered his career, meaning he was not able to enjoy as long a peak as Cristiano or Messi, while a Champions League winners’ medal also eluded him. There was no such shortage for the Portuguese Ronaldo nor Messi, who claimed four Champions League titles of his own. And Mourinho admitted Messi pips it when it comes to comparisons with Cristiano. "Of course, I would say the little guy [Messi]," Mourinho said when asked by Rio Ferdinand who was the better player in the modern era. "But the little guy was not coachable. But I have to say that in our generation, he was the best player.".
Messi, who is both Barcelona and Argentina’s all-time leading goal scorer and appearance maker, has 861 career goals. The Inter Miami talisman also has a World Cup and two Copa America titles to his name at international level. While he doesn’t share Messi’s World Cup medal or match his eight Ballons d’Or, Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer of international goals, on 135. The former Manchester United and Juventus legend has netted a record 923 senior career goals while also being both Portugal and Real Madrid’s all-time top goal-scorer.
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