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#5 Ronaldo Nazario
Ronaldo, the Brazilian striker, is considered to be one of the greatest No.9s to have stepped on the pitch. Being a world-class striker who has won everything with club and country, Ronaldo Nazario has been crowned with numerous individual accolades and knows a thing or two about being an accomplished finisher. He thinks Cristiano Ronaldo's training regime and desire makes him stand out among his peers.
“I trained because I was made to. He trains because he loves to. There are very few players who take such care of their bodies, have such a fierce desire to improve. He’s unbelievable.”
#4 Eusebio
Cristiano Ronaldo has always drawn comparison to some of the best players in the world and was likened to Portuguese legend Eusebio ever since he burst onto the scene. His speed, technique, athleticism, a gem of a right-foot and his goal-scoring abilities were all reminiscent of the 1965 Ballon d'Or winner.
When talking about a young Ronaldo before his untimely death in 2014, Eusebio, had nothing but praise for the player who would lead Portugal to their first major title in form of the European Championship in 2016.
“He has magic in his boots, the first thing you notice about him is that he is incredibly quick and very, very powerful for such a young man."
“He has great, close control and his technique is excellent. He believes he can do anything with the ball, and that confidence makes him very special indeed.”
#3 Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been at the pinnacle of world football for the last decade and a half. They have shared 11 Ballon d'Ors between them, with Ronaldo winning five times and Messi, six.
Messi has a reserved personality and rarely talks about other players but when asked to describe his old foe in an interview back in 2013, he said that he was impressed by Cristiano Ronaldo's goal-scoring prowess. It is always great to see rivals acknowledging each other.
“(Ronaldo) is always there scoring goals in all the games and taking part in his club and national side. He has been doing that for many years and whether he is at his peak or a bit below it makes no difference.”
#2 Zinedine Zidane
Players like Cristiano Ronaldo are a blessing for their managers as they possess the ability to turn the match on its head single-handedly. One of the managers that worked really well with Cristiano Ronaldo over the years was Zinedine Zidane.
The Real Madrid manager led them to three successive Champions League titles, a La Liga and two FIFA Club World Cups in a two-and-a-half-year stint, with Cristiano Ronaldo as the focal point.
The 35-year-old picked up two back-to-back Ballon d'Ors under the legendary Frenchman. Zidane had a funny yet apt comment about the superstar.
“When you play with Ronaldo on your team, you are already 1-0 up."
#1 Sir Alex Ferguson
As the manager who has worked with Cristiano Ronaldo for the longest time, Sir Alex Ferguson has a special relationship with him. The former Manchester United manager signed him as a teenager and helped him get started on the journey that has seen him conquer the world.
Alex Ferguson recalled how everyone at Manchester United knew about Cristiano Ronaldo's greatness as the whole squad basically urged him to sign the player after his stirring performance in a pre-season friendly for Sporting Lisbon against them.
Later he called the player one of the best he had managed in his career and that's huge praise coming from a man who had developed a treble-winning squad and coached the likes of Beckham, Neville, Scholes, Eric Cantona and many more.
“We’ve had some great players at this club in my 20 years, but he’s up with the best.”
