“I won more individual titles than they did, but both won World Cups” - When Cristiano Ronaldo named his 2 idols in football

Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo once said that he won more titles than his two idols Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho. The 39-year-old was in his second stint at Manchester United at the time.

Considering one of the best ever to grace the beautiful game and one of the most prolific goalscorers in history, Ronaldo is still going strong despite approaching his 40th birthday.

After nine hugely successful seasons at Real Madrid - where he scored a record 450 times in 438 games - and a three-season stint at Juventus, the Portugal captain returned to his old stomping ground of Old Trafford in the summer of 2021.

In an April 2022 interview with ESPN Brasil (via Sportbible), Ronaldo said about the two Brazilian legends, who won the 2002 FIFA World Cup and numerous other titles:

"I don’t like comparisons. I prefer to say that the two (Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho Gaucho) left their legacy, their history. I can say, by facts, that I won more individual titles than they did, but both won World Cups.

“I sympathise a lot with them. I grew up watching them both play. Saying who is the best, who is second, is not the most important thing. I prefer to say that they are idols and left a beautiful history in football.”

One of the most lethal strikers of his generation, Ronaldo Nazario - a two-time Ballon d'Or winner - won 19 titles with club and country. However, the UEFA Champions League is conspicuous by its absence in his trophy cabinet.

His compatriot, Ronaldinho - a magician with the ball at his feet - is also a Ballon d'Or winner, ending his illustrious career with 13 titles. Meanwhile, Ronaldo - who has never won the World Cup - has won 35 titles, with his latest one (Coppa Italia) coming with Juventus three years ago.

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Lionel Messi surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo record

Lionel Messi (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo (centre)

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the best players to have set foot on a football field. While Ronaldo is the game's most prolific scorer with 907 goals for club and country, Messi is second with 849.

The diminutive Argentine broke a Ronaldo record last week when he scored a hat-trick for Inter Miami in their 6-2 MLS win over New England Revolution on Saturday (October 19).

In the process, Messi became the top scorer of three different teams - Barcelona (672), Argentina (112) and Inter Miami (33) - becoming the first player to do so, while Cristiano Ronaldo has top-scored for Real Madrid (450) and Portugal (133).