“He’s not the kind of player you’d expect to start from the bottom” - Leandro Paredes explains why he prefers Brazil hero over Cristiano Ronaldo

Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes has outlined why he prefers Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario over Cristiano Ronaldo. O Fenomeno is one of the greatest forwards in the history of the game, having won the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Brazil.

Ronaldo Nazario also achieved great success for clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, is also considered among the all-time greats, having scored 936 goals for club and country in his career.

However, speaking to streamer Coscu, Paredes recently insisted that the Portuguese superstar cannot match Ronaldo Nazario's dribbling skills.

"CR7 or R9? R9.. I like R9 way more. Do I think they’re close? No. Cristiano can definitely win you a match on his own, 100%, but for me, he’s not the kind of player you’d expect to start from the bottom, dribble past a few players, and score a goal,” Paredes said (via All About Argentina's X handle).

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Cristiano Ronaldo exploded onto the scene at Manchester United in 2003, transforming into one of the best players in the world. Once a fiery dribbler himself, he adapted his game over the years to become a potent goalscorer.

The Portuguese superstar established himself as one of the greatest in the world with the Red Devils before reaching greater heights with Real Madrid (2009-18). After a three-year stint with Juventus (2018-21) and a brief second stay with Manchester United (2021-22), the five-time Ballon d'Or winner moved to Al-Nassr in December 2022. The 40-year-old currently plies his trade with the Saudi Pro League club, although his contract expires at the end of next month.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo extend his stay at Al-Nassr?

Al-Nassr sporting director Fernando Hierro has said the club are trying to tie Cristiano Ronaldo down to a new deal. The Portuguese superstar has scored goals galore for the Riyadh-based club since arriving in the Middle East.

Ronaldo recently posted a cryptic message on social media, suggesting that his time with the Riyadh-based club was coming to an end. The post added to speculation regarding the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's future.

However, speaking recently to the press, Hierro insisted that the club want him to stay.

“Cristiano is not just a player; he’s a phenomenon who changed the perception of the league. His presence helped bring in other players and improved everything around us. We’re in ongoing talks and hope he continues with us,” Hierro said (via Saudi Gazette).

Ronaldo has registered 93 goals and 19 assists from 105 games for Al-Nassr to date.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over six years at Sportskeeda. He has written over 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Parag Jain