Brazil legend Ronaldo snubs Cristiano Ronaldo as he names the greatest footballers of all time

Brazilian legend Ronaldo has snubbed his namesake Cristiano Ronaldo while naming the greatest footballers of all time.

Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has not had the best of times lately. Not only has he struggled to make an impact on the pitch, but he has also gotten into trouble for not being able to keep his emotions in check. He recently refused to come off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur and was subsequently axed from Erik ten Hag’s squad for United’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea. Amid his horror spell, the Brazilian great’s ranking could have given Ronaldo much-needed respite, but, unfortunately, that hasn’t turned out to be the case.

During an interview with the Guardian, two-time Ballon d’Or-winning forward Ronaldo was asked to take his pick between Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. He claimed that it was impossible to pick between the two, adding that there were as many as seven players who belonged to a special class. He said (via The Daily Mail):

“That's unfair. I think there is a very, very special group where you have Diego, Messi, [Johan] Cruyff, [Franz] Beckenbauer, Pelé, [Marco] van Basten, Ronaldinho.”

“I would include myself. Let the fans say, let them debate it in the bars. But you can't rank them, can't compare generations.”

Moments after snubbing Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2002 World Cup winner talked about the “Original Ronaldo” title, insisting that none of his namesakes were false.

Ronaldo added:

“People call me Original Ronaldo but, bloody hell, there were others – and they weren't false. I'm not the only one and more will come along and be better than me, in everything.”

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Ronaldo insists Neymar could be compared to aliens Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo spoke about his countryman Neymar, claiming that his off-field behavior often skewed fans’ perceptions. Ronaldo declared that he was not interested in the Paris Saint-Germain superstar’s private life, adding that he was one of the world's best in terms of footballing ability.

Ronaldo added:

“People love him a lot. If we talk specifically about football, I doubt there's anyone who doesn't love him. His private life transcends football but I'm not interested. He's daring, has skill, variety, is quick, scores goals, has personality.

“You could compare him to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, even though they're from a different planet. On the pitch Neymar is one [thing], then people mix in all the other stuff.”

Neymar has been in stunning form for PSG this season, scoring 12 goals and claiming nine assists in 16 games across competitions.