"Best player to ever grace football" - Nottingham Forest star makes claim about Cristiano Ronaldo

Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs has hailed Al-Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the game's history. The 39-year-old is the most prolific scorer, with 919 goals for club and country.

Ronaldo is coming off a solid performance in his most recent outing, bagging a brace in his club's 3-1 Saudi Pro League win at Al-Khaleej on Tuesday (January 21).

As per Sky Sports Premier League, Gibbs proclaimed Ronaldo as the GOAT when asked about "the best player to ever grace football".

In an illustrious career spanning more than two decades, Ronaldo is still going strong. The soon-to-be 40-year-old is nearly 70 career goals clear of Lionel Messi (850), the next most prolific scorer in the beautiful game's history.

The Al-Nassr striker has won big titles galore with club and country, with the exception of the FIFA World Cup, where he has never gone beyond the semi-final (2006). However, he hasn't won any title since the 2021 Coppa Italia triumph with Juventus.

Ronaldo is also the second-most successful player in Ballon d'Or history, with his five wins only behind Messi (eight). Of course, the Portugal captain also holds a plethora of other records as well, like being the most prolific scorer in UEFA Champions League and men's international football history, among others.

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How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared this season?

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is in the midst of a solid if not spectacular second full season with Al-Nassr, whom he joined in December 2022 on a free transfer, after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Coming off a solid 44-goal 2023-24 campaign - where he struck a record 36 goals in the Saudi Pro League - Ronaldo is on course for another prolific campaign. In 22 games across competitions, he has registered 19 goals and three assists.

Expectedly, most of those goal contributions - 13 goals and two assists in 15 games - have come in the Saudi top flight, where he has scored in five of his last six outings.

Ronaldo's other goals this season have come in the AFC Champions League Elite - four - and Saudi Super Cup (two). In the continental competition, Stefano Pioli's side are third after six games, three points behind leaders Al-Hilal (18).