Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and more: Ronaldo Nazario builds his ultimate footballing XI
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ronaldo Nazario recently revealed his choices for his best starting 11 in football history. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner and one of the best strikers in football history created one of the most dominant starting 11 sides.
Ronaldo Nazario went with Gianluigi Buffon as the goalkeeper, Cafu as a right-back, Roberto Carlos as the left-back, Paolo Maldini and Fabio Cannavaro as the central defenders, Zinedine Zidane, the late Diego Maradona, and Pele as midfielders, as well as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and himself as strikers.
Ronaldo Nazario believes Lionel Messi, not Cristiano Ronaldo, is the greatest player of all time
Ronaldo Nazario was asked to pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest player of all time. The former Brazil striker went with the Argentinian superstar, who is now playing for the Inter Miami in the MLS.
Similarly, Cristiano Ronaldo has also left Europe and is now part of Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Both megastars are expected to retire soon and put an end to their illustrious football careers.
Cristiano Ronaldo spent his European career with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. He has won the English Premier League three times, the La Liga twice, and the Serie A title twice. He has also claimed the UEFA Champions League five times.
He is a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, while at the international level, he led Portugal to the UEFA European Championship in 2016.
As for his rival Lionel Messi, he spent his European career with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. He has won the La Liga title 10 times, the French League title twice, and the UEFA Champions League four times.
He has won the Ballon d'Or award an impressive eight times, and he was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2009. Ronaldo had won the award a year earlier in 2008.
At the international level, Messi won the Copa America in 2021, an Olympic Gold Medal in 2008, and helped Argentina claim the FIFA World Cup in 2022.