- Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario once identified eight football superstars he considered part of a ‘special group’
- The former Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid forward left out Cristiano Ronaldo but included Lionel Messi
- Portuguese Ronaldo struggled at Euro 2024 in Germany, failing to score a single goal before his team’s exit
Ronaldo Nazario once left out Cristiano Ronaldo when naming his picks for the greatest footballers of all time.
The Brazilian legend spoke of a “special group” of football icons but excluded the five-time Ballon d’Or winner from his list.
Source: Getty Images
It’s interesting to note that the Portuguese superstar has been in sensational form, particularly with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, where he delivered an impressive goal tally last season.
According to Transfermarkt, he also netted five goals for Portugal during the 2024 European Championship qualifiers but struggled in the tournament itself, managing just one assist.
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Ronaldo Nazario snubs Cristiano on ‘GOAT’ list
Despite these achievements, the Brazilian Ronaldo did not include CR7 among the eight players he considers football’s elite.
In a 2022 interview with the Guardian, Ronaldo listed:
“Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Pelé, Marco van Basten, and Ronaldinho are part of a very special group – also including himself,” he said.
“Let the fans debate it in the bars,” he said. “But you can’t rank them or compare generations.”
While his selections are undoubtedly legendary, the omission of Cristiano Ronaldo is hard to ignore.
Other football greats like Michel Platini, Alfredo Di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane, George Best, and Ferenc Puskas might also feel overlooked by Ronaldo Nazario’s exclusive list.
Ronaldo becomes most searched athlete on Google
In an earlier publication, YEN.com.gh reported that Ronaldo became the most searched athlete in Google’s 25-year history.
His impressive performance in Saudi Arabia, averaging nearly a goal per game, has bolstered his global prominence, surpassing his rival Lionel Messi in Google searches.
Haaland, other stars pick Ronaldo as GOAT
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that several players shared their opinions on the ongoing GOAT debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the UEFA Champions League.
The two legendary figures have long dominated the competition with remarkable goals and decisive performances.
Erling Haaland, Virgil van Dijk, Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Florian Wirtz all expressed their support for Ronaldo as the greatest of all time.
Olise reacts after facing Schlupp in UCL
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Bayern Munich and France winger Michael Olise has opened up on facing his former Crystal Palace teammate Jeffrey Schlupp in the UEFA Champions League.
Olise reunited with Schlupp when Celtic travelled to Germany for the second leg of the playoff of the European competition on Wednesday, February 18, 2025.
Ghana left back Jeffrey Schlupp was importantly handed a starting role by Celtic manager Brendan Rogers and played the entire game as a late equaliser from the hosts denied them a famous win on the road.
Source: AFP
