Former Italy striker Antonio Cassano has joked about Cristiano Ronaldo’s status as one of the best players of all time, claiming he is not even in the top five.
Cristiano Ronaldo has forged a fantastic career at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus before returning to Old Trafford during the summer. At 36, the Portuguese star continues playing at the top level, scoring plenty of goals and holding a great market value.
He is the all-time top scorer for Real Madrid while also having won five Champions League titles among numerous other honours. Recently, Sir Alex Ferguson tipped Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or as the Manchester United striker continues to break records on several fronts.
A fair share of criticism has come his way of late for some on-pitch antics following poor performances by Manchester United recently, although his status as one of the world’s best players remains intact. Despite his advancing age, Ronaldo has shown no signs of slowing down and will continue to perform at the highest levels.
Former Italy striker Antonio Cassano has been speaking to the media lately on a variety of topics. He recently stated Romelu Lukaku might not be suited to Chelsea’s style and has now spoken about Ronaldo’s status as one of the greatest players of all time.
Cassano joked Ronaldo might be greater than Napoleon Bonaparte, but he certainly does not feature among the top-five all-time greats in football. Talking on Bobo TV Twitch channel, the former Italy striker’s comments were posted by MARCA.
“Yes, the best of all time after Napoleon Bonaparte,” Cassano joked, before adding, “He’s not even among the top five players of all time. [Lionel] Messi, Pele, [Diego] Maradona, [Johan] Cruyff and Ronaldo Nazario are on another level.”
While Ronaldo has failed to score or contribute to Manchester United’s cause in the last few weeks, his team suffered a morale-sapping defeat to Leicester City in the latest Premier League matchday. However, the Portuguese can make amends against Champions League opponents Atalanta during midweek.
The comparison to other footballing greats is sometimes confusing as many forget what the Portuguese star has contributed during his lifetime. The fact that he continues to play at the highest level is not a gravy everyone can digest. Ronaldo in world football remains one of the greatest players of all time.
