'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABgAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAcQAAIBBAMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAgAEBQYREjEHQQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBEAAgICAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMCEQAhBBNBcf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AxHZcKpWj5nMIMExwuwNsrZEVg+AM7mZ5Ps6gtfnsXWyWHIzHdcZcdZj0c/jAKUoLGTSiBgdlrASdnX3FsbPkdbGUZFCCaAiLMB4KGf/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time. He broke onto the scene in the early 2000s as a mercurial winger with an array of skills up his sleeve and a hunger for the game that's rarely seen. By virtue of his sheer commitment, discipline and hard work, he enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top.
The 37-year-old has a signature playing style and it is quite evident in the way he goes about dribbling or taking free-kicks. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has obviously inspired a generation of footballers. Emulating one's favorite footballer is quite a common thing to do during one's impressionable years.
Budding footballers try to model their game after their favorite footballers. Without further ado, let's take a look at five footballers who have a similar playing style to Cristiano Ronaldo.
#5 Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur)
Son Heung-Min is one of the most underrated talents of his generation. The South Korea international has been one of the most consistent forwards in the Premier League for several years now. Son even won the Premier League Golden Boot last term, sharing it with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.
The 30-year-old's playing style is quite similar to that of Ronaldo. He is quite direct with the ball at his feet and loves taking defenders on and beating them. Like Ronaldo in his younger days, Son plays as an inverted left-winger who can shoot with both feet.
He joined Spurs in 2015 from Bayer Leverkusen for a sum of €30 million. In 348 appearances in all competitions for the North Londoners, Son has scored 137 goals and provided 76 assists.
#4 Memphis Depay (Barcelona)
Like Ronaldo, Memphis Depay arrived at Manchester United as a young winger who had the potential to be a world beater. He did not exactly have a great stint at Old Trafford but he did show flashes of his ability during his time there.
It was at Olympique Lyon that Depay managed to establish himself as a top quality forward. The Dutchman's dribbling skills are exquisite and are quite reminiscent of Ronaldo during his prime years. He is also excellent at shooting from range and is also quite an effective free-kick taker.
As a result, Depay's playing style has often been likened to Ronaldo's. The 28-year-old is currently out of favor at Barcelona as the Catalans have an embarrassment of riches in the attacking department. But that is not a fair reflection of Depay's abilities.
#3 Joao Felix (Chelsea)
Ronaldo's compatriot Joao Felix has a playing style that's quite identical to his. Although Portugal have produced plenty of talented forwards in recent years, the 23-year-old has been touted to be the biggest among them all.
The hype was so immense that Atletico Madrid signed Felix from Benfica in 2019 for a whopping €126 million. He is usually deployed as a second striker in Diego Simeone's system. Felix's quality is there for all to see, but the consensus seems to be that Simeone's perhaps not the right coach for him.
He has now joined Chelsea on a loan deal until the end of the season. Felix is a pacy forward with excellent technical qualities. His dribbling, creativity and shooting ability seem to have all been modeled after the legendary Portuguese forward.
#2 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Marcus Rashford is currently playing in the form of his life. On current form, he is one of the best attackers in the world. His dribbling skills are top-notch and his blistering pace allows him to outpace almost every defender he comes up against.
Rashford has been at Manchester United since he was seven and has obviously styled his game after club legend Ronaldo. The Englishman is one of the most skilled dribblers on the planet and he even uses the 'Ronaldo chop' from time to time to bamboozle opponents.
He often employs the knuckleball technique to shoot and take free-kicks and it's a style that was popularized by Ronaldo.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Kylian Mbappe is arguably the best attacker in the world right now. He won the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and even scored a hat-trick in the final of the tournament. Mbappe revealed in an interview with Marca in 2017 that Ronaldo was his childhood idol and that he looked to emulate his playing style as a kid.
The 24-year-old is tipped to reach or even surpass the legacy of childhood hero. His blistering pace, trickery and shooting ability make him an incredibly dangerous forward. He is a nightmare to defend against and is one of the most sought-after players in the game right now.
