"Different to anyone" - Brazilian great Kaka names Cristiano Ronaldo but omits Lionel Messi from his all-time best XI
Composing his all-time best XI back in 2015, Brazilian legend Kaka kept Cristiano Ronaldo in attack, but could not pick Lionel Messi ahead of Ronaldinho. The final spot in attack in Kaka’s 4-3-3 lineup went to his former World Cup-winning teammate Ronaldo.
The Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi debate has raged on for generations, with some of the biggest stars chiming in with their opinions. Kaka, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, avoided a regular comparison in his all-time XI, but there was some controversy nonetheless.
🎙Kaká:
"Messi is good, but Cristiano Ronaldo is something else, he is the complete player." https://t.co/XCaleVdeVQ
In his best-ever XI for Daily Mail, the Brazilian created an all-star attack, which surprisingly did not include the great Lionel Messi. Kaka’s three-man attack started with his former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo on the left wing:
Justifying his selection, he said:
“I will have the three Ronaldo's up front, starting with Cristiano. I learnt a lot from him, which helped in my career, when we played for Real Madrid. He is the best player on the planet at the moment, a special player.”
Next came the great Ronaldo Nazario, who Kaka claimed was “different to anyone.”
Kaka added:
“For me, the Brazilian Ronaldo is one of the best strikers in the history of the game. He is different to anyone. I would have to say he was the best player I played together with. His speed, his dribbling, his finishing, his movement. I love him.”
He completed his front three with Ronaldinho on the right wing.
The former AC Milan star added:
“I played against Lionel Messi, but Ronaldinho makes my final slot. He is a genius. He can do things with the ball you don't understand. During training you see a lot of things you don't see in the game. In training he was free from the emotional part, the responsibility of matches. In training he was free to do what he wanted.”
Kaka’s complete dream team (4-3-3):
Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Maldini, Carlos; Iniesta, Pirlo, Zidane; Cristiano, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho;
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored the most hat-tricks in the 21st century
With 12 Ballon d’Ors between them, Ronaldo and Messi are by far the most influential footballers of the century. They have shattered and created numerous records over the last 15 years, some of which are bound to stand for a long time. One of which happens to be the number of hat-tricks scored for clubs and country.
games
goals
assists
Messi - total stats:
9️⃣7️⃣1️⃣ games
7️⃣6️⃣4️⃣ goals💥
3️⃣2️⃣8️⃣ assists
3️⃣9️⃣ trophies
5️⃣8️⃣ freekicks
5️⃣5️⃣ hattricks
8️⃣ Pichichi
7️⃣ Ballon d'Or
6️⃣ Golden Boot
6️⃣ FIFA Best Player
2️⃣ UEFA Best Player https://t.co/SnSV8DKs3D
Having netted 60 trebles, the Manchester United man has scored the most hat-tricks in the 21st century (via Give Me Sport). His arch-rival is currently in second place, having bagged 55 hat-tricks in his career. Maldives international Ali Ashfaq is in distant third place with 35 hat-tricks. Robert Lewandowski (30) and Luis Suarez (29) round off the top-five list of the most accomplished hat-trick heroes.