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Italy legend Marco Materazzi has said former Brazil attacker Ronaldo is the best footballer he has known. Materazzi has claimed that Ronaldo was as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo combined.
In an interview with former England and Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand, Materazzi mentioned that playing with Ronaldo at Inter Milan gave him a lot of joy. He also mentioned how challenging it was to train with the Brazilian as their coach Hector Cuper often asked them to play in one-on-one situations.
Materazzi spoke eloquently about the 2001-02 season in which he played alongside Ronaldo at Inter Milan. In that campaign, the Nerazzuri lost out on winning the Scudetto on the final day when they were beaten 2-4 by Lazio in Rome, allowing Juventus to pick up their 26th Serie A title.
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"For me, R9 (Ronaldo) is the best. The best. He was Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo combined. We played together at Inter Milan for one year - (Hector) Cuper was the manager when we lost Serie A in the last game against Lazio in Rome. Normally, our training was more one-to-one, keep the ball in the middle, and then defend. We had to defend for 15 metres," said Materazzi.
You can see the video here (from 17:00 onwards):
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are in fine form despite their advancing years
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, both ascertained to be the best players in the world during their prime, have moved away from European football. While Ronaldo currently plays for Saudi club Al Nassr, Messi plies his trade for Inter Miami in the MLS. Nonetheless, neither has lost touch despite their advancing years.
Ronaldo has scored 28 goals in 33 matches across all competitions for Al Nassr this season, out of which 19 have come in the Saudi Pro League. Messi, meanwhile, has just started the new MLS season with Inter Miami, but has scored four goals in five matches across all competitions already.
In 2024, Lionel Messi was in fine form in the MLS, finding the back of the net on 23 occasions across all competitions and even bagging 13 assists. Currently, he has sustained a muscle injury and is expected to make a comeback later this month. Ronaldo's Al Nassr are ranked third in the league, with the business end of the Saudi Pro League yet to come.
