“There are many” - Cristiano Ronaldo’s ex-teammate Daniele Rugani picks 4 players when asked to choose best striker he played with
Daniele Rugani has named Cristiano Ronaldo among the best strikers he played with. The Italian defender shared the pitch with the Portuguese superstar during their time together at Juventus.
Ronaldo arrived at Turin in the summer of 2018, with the Bianconeri reportedly paying Real Madrid €100m for his services. He joined the club as one of the best players in the world, fresh from winning the UEFA Champions League with Los Blancos.
The Portuguese first rose to prominence with Manchester United, where he honed his skills under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson. At Old Trafford, he was transformed into one of the best players in the world, inadvertantly generating interest from Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo made the move to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2009 and went on to spent nine seasons with the club. After winning everything on offer with Los Blancos, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner joined Juventus for a new adventure.
The Portuguese enjoyed a fruitful run with the Serie A giants, winning two league titles, the Copa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. He scored 101 goals and registered 22 assists from 134 games for the Bianconeri, before leaving to join Manchester United in 2021.
Speaking to Tuttosport, Rugani also named Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain, and Mario Mandzukic among the best strikers he played with.
“There are many. I will say Dybala, Ronaldo, Higuain and also Mandzukic,” said Rugani.
Dybala, Higuain and Mandzukic all spent time at Juventus, but none could reach the heights of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Will Cristiano Ronaldo play at 2026 FIFA World Cup?
After a brief second-stint at Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo moved to the Middle East in December 2022, joining Al-Nassr. He remains a first team regular for the Saudi Pro League club as well as the Portugal national team.
The 39-year-old is arguably in the twilight of his career but continues to redefine his limits. He recently surpassed 900 goals in his career, and is surely one of the best goalscorers in the history of the beautiful game.
Ronaldo will be 41 when Portugal cross the Atalantic for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, it is not beyond him to take the field for his nation for the coveted tournament in two years' time.
Should that happen, it would make the Portuguese the first footballer to appear in six World Cups, creating another record. However, his long-term rival Lionel Messi could also achieve that feat with Argentina, if he is part of La Albiceleste's team.