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Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time. He has won the Ballon d'Or five times and has had an illustrious career at both club and international levels. The Portuguese talisman is the men's leading international goalscorer with 115 goals to his name so far.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most versatile attackers of all time
Even though he is 36-years-old, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be one of the most elite attackers in world football. The longevity that he has showcased has a lot to do with the amount of work he has put into improving his game and evolving it as the years go by.
Ronaldo started off as a traditional winger whose skillset was replete with an array of tricks and flicks. He could also shoot some thunderbolts with either foot. Eventually, he became a prolific goalscorer and after honing his predatory instincts inside the area, he has now made the transition to an out-and-out centre-forward.
Needless to say, Cristiano Ronaldo has spawned a generation of youngsters growing up wanting to emulate the way he plays. Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who have a playing style similar to Cristiano Ronaldo's.
#5 Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
Atletico Madrid signed Joao Felix from Benfica in the summer of 2019 for a whopping €126 million. The youngster was already considered to be one of the biggest talents to emerge from Portugal since Cristiano Ronaldo.
Felix is a skilful forward whose technical proficiency belies his age. Like Ronaldo, his young compatriot is a versatile forward who can play anywhere across the frontline. He usually plays as a second striker in Diego Simeone's system at Atletico Madrid.
Felix's primary attributes are speed, creativity, vision and the ability to take defenders on and beat them. His playing style has been likened to Cristiano Ronaldo's. While Felix is yet to hit the heights expected of him, the 21-year-old has plenty of time to put the work in and improve.
In 83 appearances across all competitions for Atletico Madrid so far, he has scored 19 goals and provided 11 assists.
#4 Memphis Depay (Barcelona)
Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Memphis Depay has worn the #7 shirt at Manchester United. However, the Dutchman's stint at Old Trafford was largely forgettable. He subsequently established himself as a top quality attacker during his stay at Olympique Lyon.
Depay, similar to a young Ronaldo, was an inverted winger whose direct running and incredible dribbling ability made him a thorn in the neck of opposition defenders. He is renowned for his shooting range and the sheer amount of power he packs in his right foot.
Depay is also excellent at free-kicks. He is also very quick on the ball and has now evolved into a very intelligent forward. His style of play has often been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo's. Both players are known for their technical abilities and their physical capabilities.
During a stellar stint at Olympique Lyon between 2017 and 2021, Depay scored 76 goals and provided 55 assists in 178 appearances across all competitions.
#3 Son Hueng-Min (Tottenham Hotspur)
Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-Min has been exemplary for Tottenham Hotspur since joining the club in 2015 from from Bayer Leverkusen for a sum of €30 million. The South Korean international has flourished into one of the best attackers in the Premier League.
He has also struck up a wonderful partnership up top with Harry Kane. Son is a tricky customer who possesses explosive pace and incredible dribbling ability. He is a difficult opponent to come up against for opposition defenders thanks to his direct running and sheer technical prowess.
He can also play anywhere across the frontline, though his best work has come whilst playing down the left-wing as an inverted winger. Son is also a tireless worker and never shies away from his defensive responsibilities.
Son's style of play is quite similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo's from his first stint at Manchester United and during his peak Real Madrid years. In 292 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur across all competitions, Son has scored 111 goals and provided 66 assists.
#2 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Marcus Rashford is one of the best attackers in the game right now. He is a pacy winger who has improved his game immensely over the past few seasons. Still only 23-years-old, the Manchester United man has a bright career ahead of him.
He is also inarguably one of the finest talents to have come out of the Manchester United academy in recent times. Rashford's game has quite evidently been influenced by Cristiano Ronaldo. Like his idol, Rashford unleashes a bag of tricks in one-on-one situations replete with elasticos, 'Ronaldo chops' and stepovers.
He has also fashioned his shooting style after Ronaldo. Rashford's knuckleball technique has proven to be difficult to parry for goalkeepers. The 23-year-old also showcases great intelligence when it comes to his movements and is excellent at making runs in behind the opposition defence.
In 274 appearances for Manchester United across all competitions so far in his career, Rashford has scored 90 goals and provided 56 assists.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe is one of the best footballers on the planet right now. Widely considered heir-apparent to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe is an elite attacker at the age of 22.
He has already won the World Cup with France and became the most expensive teenager in football when he completed a €180 million move from AS Monaco to PSG.
Mbappe revealed in an interview with Marca in 2017 that Cristiano Ronaldo was his childhood idol and that he looked to emulate him when he played. The Frenchman's excellent dribbling ability, coupled with his burst of pace, makes him a nightmare to defend against.
He also has the ability to time his runs to perfection and once he gets past a defender and turns on the afterburners, there is no catching him. Mbappe is also a prolific goalscorer like Cristiano Ronaldo thanks to his movement in and around the area as well as his clinical finishing.
In 185 appearances across all competitions for PSG, he has scored 138 goals and provided 69 assists.
