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Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest player ever to grace the game. What makes him the best is his work ethic and drive to win every game he plays and no matter how tough the situations have been, the winger has defied all odds to step up for the teams he has played in.
The Portuguese star's nemesis and eternal rival, Lionel Messi is the only player able enough to stand in his way of becoming the best player of all time. Unlike the Argentinian who has been a one-club man for his entire career, Ronaldo has excelled in top clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid and is currently dominating the Serie A with Juventus.
Playing for top clubs means playing with the best of players and that is what makes this list composed of the greatest players to have played the game. Here are the 11 best players on their respective playing position that Ronaldo has played with.
Also see : Copa America Schedule, Copa America Standings
#1 Goalkeeper- Iker Casillas
Played together - Real Madrid
Seasons - 2009-2015
Iker Casillas is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers of the 21st century. His agility, response time and ability to perform under pressure made him the legend he is. Few goalkeepers are as good as Casillas was when he made his debut aged 18 for one of the biggest sides in the world.
The Spaniard lifted the Champions League trophy as a teenager and further went on to win two more with Real Madrid. He was the captain of the Spanish national team that won two Euros and a World Cup.
#2 Centre Back - Giorgio Chiellini
Playing together - Juventus
Seasons - Playing together since 2018
Giorgio Chiellini belongs among Italy's greatest ever central defenders which is a huge achievement as the nation has been the greatest producer of world class defenders. Even at the age of 34, the Italian stalwart is showing no signs of slowing down and still remains a standout player in his position.
The raw boned Italian is an aggressive centre-back who has an old school back alley approach to defending. He isn't very technical or graceful but is excellent at sniffing out threats and the kind of player one can heavily rely on as his defending prowess can be compared to the likes of Paolo Maldini and Fabio Cannavaro.
#3 Centre Back - Sergio Ramos
Played together - Real Madrid
Seasons - 2009-2018
Sergio Ramos is among the most decorated defenders in world football. The prolific centre-back is one of the best goal-scoring defenders in the history of the game. With over 80 goals to his name and counting, he is already in the top 15 of Real Madrid's all-time goalscorer list which is an unreal achievement for a central defender.
Ramos is most feared in the added minutes of the game as in these minutes, he has often stepped up for the Los Blancos when they needed it the most. The Spanish captain has won four Champions league with Real Madrid and the glorified World Cup in 2010 with Spain. He is his nation's most capped player, second only to Iker Casillas.
#4 Left back - Marcelo
Played together - Real Madrid
Seasons - 2009-2018
Ronaldo and Marcelo made a magnificent duo at the left flank of the Los Blancos as their unwithering friendship off the field boosted their chemistry on the field. Marcelo has established himself as one of the best left-back in the world. The curly haired Brazilian has always owned the flank like it's his home. No other defender in the world has come even close to the attacking prowess the left-back has shown in almost every game he has played.
Many think that he has eclipsed ex Los Blancos legend Roberto Carlos, who immortalized himself in that position. The Brazilian has lifted a total of twenty trophies with Real Madrid including four Champions league. He won the 2013 Confederations Cup with his national side.
#5 Right back - Gary Neville
Played together - Manchester United
Seasons - 2003-2009
Gary Neville was a prominent and loyal right-back who played at Manchester United for 19 years. The Englishman was a part of the famous class of '92 which was a group of talented youngsters that went on to dominate English football for a major chunk of the decade. Apart from Neville, the group included popular names such as Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Phil Neville.
The English talisman's bursting pace, passing skills, crossing ability and intelligent reading of the game set him apart as one of the best right-back of his generation. He is a highly decorated player with a cabinet full of 20 trophies which included eight Premiere League titles and two Champions League titles.
#6 Centre Midfielder - Paul Scholes
Played together - Manchester United
Seasons - 2003-2009
The Englishman is said to be the greatest midfielder ever to grace the Premiere league. Although the English league has been played by great midfielders such as Frank Lampard, Roy Keane and Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes still manages to stand head and shoulders above the rest.
The midfielder's technicality, vision, pin point passing and ability to score long range goals is what differentiated him from the rest. The ginger genius was among the few who could pull a string and dictate the flow of the game from the center of the field.
He is the most decorated English footballer of all time as his trophy cabinet is shelved with 25 major trophies including 11 Premiere league titles and 3 Champions league.
#7 Centre Midfielder - Luka Modric
Played together - Real Madrid
Seasons - 2012-2018
The 33-year-old is hailed as the best midfielder on the planet. Luka Modric became the only player to break Messi-Ronaldo's ten-year dominance over the Ballon d'Or by winning it in 2018.
Modric has expertise in reading games, his vision, pin-point passing accuracy and ability to prompt teammates on the forefront gives a tough time to opponents.
The Croatian is the beating heart of Los Blancos who won three consecutive Champions League with the help of the midfielder. Luka also played a crucial role in World Cup 2018 where he dragged an underdog Croatia to the final.
#8 Attacking Midfielder - Kaka
Played together - Real Madrid
Seasons - 2009-2013
At his peak, Kaka was undoubtedly the best player in the world. The Brazilian peaked at the brink of Messi-Ronaldo era and holds a very unique spot in the world of football. He won the Ballon d'Or in 2007 beating the Argentinian and the Portuguese star by a huge margin.
The Brazilian was called "a rare piece of talent" by Zinedine Zidane. Standing 6ft tall, his bursting pace and acceleration was matched by none, his graceful shifts and turns was a delight to watch and his creative playmaking ability made him a great asset to the teams he played in. He is one of the eight players to have won the World Cup, the Champions league and the Ballon d'Or.
#9 Left Winger - Luis Figo
Played together - Portugal national team
Seasons - 2003-2006
Luis Figo is one of the best players of his generation along with the likes of Zidane, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Henry.
The Ballon d'Or winner is the reason behind the revival of Portugal national team as the top contenders in world football. It was under his leadership that Portugal reached the semi-final of the 2006 World Cup, the nation's best ever finish in 40 years.
The Portuguese midfielder started his career as a winger with his speed and accuracy helping him create chances from the flanks but as he lost pace with age, he transitioned into a playmaker and adopted a creative style of play. He is also famous for the most controversial crossing of the Barcelona-Madrid divide as he is among the very few players to have played for both the El Clasico sides.
#10 Right Winger - Wayne Rooney
Played together - Manchester United
Seasons - 2004-2009
In his prime years, Wayne Rooney was the most feared striker in the world. His pace, energy and drive to make runs and net the ball was enough to make him one of the most loved players in England's history. Although he excelled as a striker, he was also an incredible false number 9.
The Englishman has won almost every honor available in European football with Manchester United. Rooney started his professional career at the age of 16 for Everton before his move to Manchester United where he played for 13 years bagging 183 goals for the club. He is England and Manchester United's highest goal scorer of all time.
#11 Centre Forward - Raul Gonzalez
Played together - Real Madrid
Seasons - 2009-2010
Raul Gonzalez was one of the most prolific strikers on the planet at the peak of his career. In an historic club like Real Madrid which has a long line of legends, the Spaniard sits at the top alongside the likes of Alfredo di Stefano and Zinedine Zidane.
The Los Blancos man spent 18 years at the club leading them to three Champions league titles. His unmatched opportunism and heavy improvisation in front of the goal made him the big game player he was known for. The left-footed Spaniard is the highest Spanish goalscorer in European leagues as he has netted 228 goals in the La liga and 28 goals in the Bundesliga.
