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Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players to have played the beautiful game. During an almost two-decade-long career, he has scored goals and won titles aplenty for both club and country.
Still going strong at the age of 36, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has hit the ground running on his return to Manchester United after more than a decade. Last season, he scored 29 league goals to win his first Capocannoniere award even as Juventus' nine-year Serie A reign drew to a close.
Ronaldo has also been a standout performer in international football. He starred with five goals and an assist at Euro 2020, despite holders Portugal crashing out in the Round of 16.
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Recently, Ronaldo (111) overtook Ali Daei to become the most prolific scorer in men's international football.
Over the years, the five-time Champions League winner has played with a plethora of world-class players across positions. On that note, here's a look at the best XI to have lined up with Ronaldo. Without further ado, let's get started:
Note: A 4-3-3 formation has been considered for this hypothetical XI. All stats have been taken from transfermarkt unless mentioned otherwise.
Goalkeeper - Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas is one of the most successful goalkeepers in the history of football. During a highly successful career for club and country, the Spaniard won every major title on offer. That includes the FIFA World Cup, Euros, Champions League and La Liga.
The former Real Madrid captain played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for five years at the capital club, winning a Liga and Champions League title, among others.
Wading into the Ronaldo-Messi debate, Casillas called his illustrious former teammate better than Messi, saying:
"Cristiano always had huge desire to be the best, every since he was a boy and I believe he has achieved that. If I have to compare him to Messi, what Cristiano has done is more impressive because we all know the talent Messi has, but Cristiano was determined and worked hard to be the best."
Casillas' last match with Ronaldo was the 2014 Champions League final, where Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 after extra time to win La Decima. Ronaldo was one of Los Blancos' three scorers in extra time that night.
Right-back - Gary Neville
Gary Neville is one of the most decorated full-backs in Premier League history. He played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United for six seasons, winning three league titles (in as many years). The duo also won one Champions League title together.
Unsurprisingly, Neville is a huge admirer of Ronaldo for the latter's exploits for club and country over the years.
Ronaldo has scored five times in six games across competitions on his return to Old Trafford this summer. That has made Manchester United one of the contenders for the Premier League title.
However, Neville recently said that the Red Devils haven't played well enough as a team to return to title-winning ways.
Centre-back - Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is undoubtedly one of the best centre-backs Cristiano Ronaldo has played with. The Spaniard has won every major title on offer with club and country. He is also one of the most prolific goalscoring defenders in the game's history.
During his nine-year stay in Madrid, Ronaldo combined with Ramos to win two La Liga and four Champions League titles. Now at PSG, Ramos is one of a handful of players to score in two Champions League finals.
After Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018, Ramos took over the club's penalty-taking duties. His exploits at both ends helped Los Blancos end their three-year La Liga title drought last year.
Ramos is yet to make his debut for PSG as he is recuperating from injury.
Centre-back - Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand enjoyed a successful six-season spell with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United. The duo won three consecutive league titles and played in back-to-back Champions League finals (won one, lost the other).
With a strong presence at both ends, Ferdinand was a no-nonsense defender, and was a key cog in Manchester United's team in the late 2000s. He was ecstatic when he learned of Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford this summer.
Ferdinand once narrated an incident about Ronaldo's level of professionalism and dedication to the sport, saying:
"He was brave to take risks, he came over to another country. He was brave to remain the person that he was, and didn't change really. He became obsessed with the sport that he chose and then drilled down into details which was building a team around himself."
He continued:
"I went round his house one time and I walked in and he had about six/seven people siting in his front room. I said to him, 'Cris, who are all these people, man?' "He was like, 'That's my personal masseur, my nutritionist, my doctor, my physio, my chef.' "He had all these people, and back then no one was doing that. He was a visionary in that sense.
Left-back - Marcelo
Marcelo is one of the most prolific goalscoring full-backs in the game at the moment.
The Brazilian enjoyed a successful near-decade-long stint with Cristiano Ronaldo in the Spanish capital, winning two La Liga and four Champions League titles, among others.
With both players playing on the left flank, the duo combined to score many goals for Real Madrid. In fact, with 25 assists, Marcelo is one of Ronaldo's top assist providers.
Both players scored in Real Madrid's 4-1 win over Atletico in the 2014 Champions League final.
Marcelo once said about Ronaldo.
"For me, Cristiano is the best player in the world."
Right Midfielder - Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos is one of the best midfielders Cristiano Ronaldo has shared the pitch with over the years. The German can play across a plethora of positions in the middle third of the field.
A set-piece specialist, Kroos often prefers to play in a deep-lying midfield role, dictating the pace of games. The 2014 FIFA World Cup winner has a rasping shot from distance too.
Kroos and Ronaldo have won three consecutive Champions League titles and one La Liga trophy in four years in the Spanish capital. Kroos was recently among the players who applauded Ronaldo for reaching the 750-goal landmark for club and country.
Now 31, Kroos is still going strong at Real Madrid. He is one of the most experienced players at the club following the departures of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane this summer.
Central Midfielder - Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso is regarded as one of the best central/defensive midfielders to have graced the game since the turn of the century.
Alonso had a successful five-year stint with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, winning a La Liga and Champions League title. He scored just six times in over 200 games for the club, but provided over 30 assists across all competitions.
The midfielder later went to Bayern Munich, where he enjoyed more success before calling time on his career.
Alonso once said about Ronaldo:
"Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both amazing players, you can see the goals they score. But for me, Cristiano is the best."
Left Midfielder - Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs is one of the most decorated one-club men in the history of the sport. The legendary Manchester United player won a record 13 Premier League titles with the club, three of them coming with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Giggs and Ronaldo were teammates at Old Trafford for six years. During this period, the duo also reached consecutive Champions League finals (won in 2008, lost in 2009).
The Welshman's versatility allowed him to be deployed across a bevy of positions in the middle and attacking third. Giggs scored 165 goals and provided 250 assists in nearly 950 games across all competitions for Manchester United.
Right Winger - Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale enjoyed a successful five-season stint with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
The Welshman combined with Ronaldo and Karim Benzema (more on him later) to form one of the most devastating attacking triumvirates in the game's history. Real Madrid rode on the trio's exploits to win four Champions League titles in five years.
Bale is one of the most explosive wingers in the game, even though his prowess may have seemingly declined in recent years. Nevertheless, he is a big-game player, having scored in two Champions League finals.
The 32-year-old, one of only two players to provide over 30 assists to Ronaldo, recently said about the Portugal captain:
"Cristiano Ronaldo - for me, just the amount of goals he scores and the titles that we won together. I think arguably one of the best ever to play football. For me, I will have to say him.”
Centre-Forward - Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is one of the best centre-forwards Cristiano Ronaldo has played with during his illustrious career. The duo won four Champions League titles in five years and two La Liga titles, among others.
During a prolific near decade-long stint at Real Madrid, the duo created countless goals for each other. In fact, Benzema is the player with the most assists (47) for Ronaldo, doing so in over 340 games.
Both players arrived in Madrid in the summer of 2009. While Ronaldo hit the ground running, Benzema was a steady performer. However, after Ronaldo left Madrid in 2018, the Frenchman has upped the ante, scoring 20 league goals in each of his last three seasons.
Benzema has started the new season on a tear, already reaching double digits for the campaign.
Left Winger - Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney was predominantly a centre-forward who also played on the flanks, thanks to his searing pace and crossing ability. Nevertheless, he finds a mention in this hypothetical XI as a winger.
Rooney struck up a devastating partnership with Ronaldo during the duo's six seasons at Manchester United in the late 2000s. Their goals powered the Red Devils to three consecutive Premier League titles and back-to-back Champions League finals (won one, lost one).
One of the last games the duo played together was the 2009 Champions League final, which Manchester United lost to Barcelona.
