"Among the 5 best players on the planet" - Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo praised by Barcelona manager Xavi

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has asserted that Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is still among the top five players in the world.

Ronaldo, 37, is considered to be one of the greatest players of all time due to his exploits for Portugal, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus. He has lifted a whopping 34 trophies during his illustrious professional career, spanning more than two decades. Overall, he has scored a staggering 819 goals and contributed 266 assists in 1142 games across all competitions at club and country level.

Speaking while attending a publicity event, Xavi insisted that the veteran striker is one of the best in the world. He said (via A Bola):

"Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be among the five best players on the planet."

Ronaldo is without a club after Manchester United terminated his contract via mutual agreement earlier this month following an explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan. He has been linked with top clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Inter Miami and Al Nassr.

Presently, he is on a mission to win his country football's highest honor at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He has started both of his side's two Group H matches, scoring once in a 3-2 win over Ghana last week. He is next set to be in action in Portugal's final 2022 FIFA World Cup group-stage clash against South Korea on Friday (2 December).

Gary Neville claims Premier League giants could sign Cristiano Ronaldo in future

Speaking on beIN SPORTS (via Manchester Evening News), Manchester United great Gary Neville claimed that Chelsea could consider signing Cristiano Ronaldo in January next year. He said:

"I think he wants to carry on playing at the elite level of football and I think he's got a cameo in him at a top club probably for the last four months of the season, where he'll go and score 15, 20 goals and it wouldn't surprise me at all. Chelsea are the ones that are talking about it. Boehly seems to like the idea of Cristiano at Chelsea."

Neville, who played alongside the Portuguese star for six seasons at Old Trafford, stated that a short-term deal is the best option. He added:

"If you are looking at it as a long-term thing, no [Chelsea shouldn't sign him]. But if you are looking at a four or five-month spell, you want someone who can put the ball in the back of the net and it's a pretty sure bet that he will, I'd say go for it."

Ronaldo was famously linked to Chelsea in the summer as well with the new Todd Boehly-led consortium wanting to bring the superstar to Stamford Bridge. As per the latest reports, Boehly is once again eager to bring the 37-year-old to west London. What Potter thinks about the transfer is unknown.