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Cristiano Ronaldo has named Diego Maradona as the best player in football history after himself.
The Portuguese joined a host of celebrities to greet the Argentinian legend on the occasion of his 60th birthday on Friday. Maradona, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history, is currently holding the reins at Argentine club Gimnasia La Plata.
The former Barcelona footballer got wishes from approximately 156 celebrities on his special day, in a video made by Francis Magan.
Maradona received birthday wishes from Ronaldo Nazario, Ronaldinho, Fabio Cannavaro, Jose Mourinho, Gabriela Sabattini, Carlos Tevez, Radamel Falcao, and Juan Martin del Potro among others, while the entire world poured their hearts out on social media to wish him good health.
Zinedine Zidane, currently in charge of Real Madrid, also sent a warm message to the 1986 World Cup winner. However, the most eye-catching message came from five-time Ballon d’Or recipient Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo used a social media post to wish Maradona
Cristiano Ronaldo’s rivalry with Lionel Messi is almost as iconic as the Maradona and Pele rivalry in world football.
The difference is that both the Portuguese and Messi are playing in the same era, while Maradona and the Brazilian had played at different times.
Cristiano Ronaldo has regularly come up against the Barcelona talisman on the pitch and the world is torn apart in the debate regarding who is the better of the two.
However, in the mind of the Portuguese, he reigns supreme over the diminutive Argentinian. And it now appears that Cristiano Ronaldo also considers himself better than an Argentinian icon of the past.
The Juventus footballer posted a video message on social media, where he congratulated Maradona on his birthday and wished him all the best. He signed off with a hug, referring to the World Cup winner as the ‘No.1 – after El Bicho!’
Congratulations on your 60th birthday, wishing you the best, mate; hope everything is going well and that you're enjoying life. A hug, [you're] No.1... but after El Bicho, eh!
Cristiano Ronaldo was first referred to as ‘El Bicho’ by Manolo Lama, the Spanish sports broadcaster, due to the Portuguese’s strength, presence, and leadership.
It was a nickname that caught fire quickly during the player’s time at Real Madrid and has stayed with Cristiano Ronaldo since. And even though the Portuguese seems to have referred to himself jokingly in the video, everyone knows that the player holds himself in the highest regard.
But is Cristiano Ronaldo better than the man who single-handedly won Argentina the 1986 World Cup and inspired a generation of boys and girls to play football? The world might still be divided in their opinion.
