“Even in comparison with Messi or Maradona” - Ex-Portugal star explains why Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘on a higher level’

Cristiano Ronaldo is on a higher level compared to players like Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. That's according to former Portugal star Fernando Meira, who has said that the Al Nassr superstar is the most talented he has ever seen.

Thanks to two decades of hard work and footballing excellence, Ronaldo has etched his name among the greatest players to play the game, alongside his eternal rival Messi. Together, the duo have dominated the sport for the last two decades and are still going strong.

Given their amazing achievements and how they've stood out from the rest of the pack, it's only natural that they get compared to late legends, Pele and Diego Maradona. However, in Meira's books, no one comes close to Cristiano Ronaldo, explaining:

“He was a cheeky kid, very competitive, but no one had any idea that he could get where he did”, the former Portugal star who shared the dressing room with the Al Nassr superstar in the Portugal national team at some point in his career, said in a podcast posted on Portuguese outlet Sic Noticias.

“I also had the privilege of playing alongside Figo, and other stars, both in the national team and at clubs, but Ronaldo is on a higher level. Not just ours, but even in comparison with some of the greatest of all time like Messi or Maradona,” he added.

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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in contention for Globe Soccer awards

The two icons have been nominated for the Best Men's Player category of the Globe Soccer awards this year alongside other superstars like Mohamed Salah, Martin Odegaard, Robert Lewandowski, Luka Modric, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe.

Cristiano Ronaldo leads the race for the award, having bagged 52.5% of the total votes. Messi, meanwhile has gotten 10.2%. Salah has 22.5%, while the rest of the votes are spread among the other nominees.

Recall that the Argentine mastro was recently named the Ballon d'Or and FIFA Player of the Year award after leading his country to FIFA World Cup glory last year.