“He’s a hair below them” - Ex-Real Madrid coach delivers verdict on Cristiano Ronaldo's claims that he’s better than Lionel Messi, Pele and others

Former England boss Fabio Capello has ranked Lionel Messi above Cristiano Ronaldo in his list of greatest players of all time. The Italian tactician believes the Argentine superstar sits on the same level as Pele and Diego Maradona, while his Portuguese counterpart is on par with Brazilian great and his namesake, Ronaldo Nazario.

Speaking to FlashScore, Capello stated Messi and Ronaldo were not far apart but he preferred the Argentine over the Portuguese superstar. He said (via GOAL):

“When someone claims that title, they mark it themselves, they've done their homework, they haven't listened to others, I think they've exaggerated a bit. In short, they've played the student and the teacher, haven't they? A great player, built with desire, with will. But when I talk about phenomena, I say Messi, I say Pele, I say Maradona and I put Ronaldo the 'Gordo', Ronaldo the 'Phenomenon', right next to them. He's a hair below them.”

It was not the first time Capello sided with Messi on the GOAT debate. Speaking at the Laureus World Sport Awards in 2024, he said (via GOAL):

“[Ronaldo] is a great player. He won titles, he won the Ballon d’Or, but as I said before, it’s not as great as how Messi has been. For me, if you talk to me about Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi, I will say Messi. Ronaldo is a great scorer, shoots, does everything, knows how to do everything, but he is not a genius. Very simple.”

Fabio Capello previously admitted that he wanted to sign Lionel Messi just 25 minutes after watching the youngster play for Barcelona in a pre-season game.

Cristiano Ronaldo claimed he was the most complete player - ahead of Lionel Messi, Pele and others

Cristiano Ronaldo appeared on the Spanish TV show El Chiringuito in February earlier this year and stated that he was the most complete player in football history. He admitted that some fans preferred Lionel Messi and Pele over him, but he claimed that no one came close to him.

He said (via ESPN):

"I'm talking about numbers. I think I'm the most complete player to have existed. In my opinion, I think it's me. I do everything well in football: with my head, free kicks, left foot. I'm fast, I'm strong. One thing is taste -- if you like Messi, Pelé, Maradona, I understand that and I respect that -- but saying Ronaldo isn't complete... I'm the most complete. I haven't seen anybody better than me, and I say it from the heart."

Cristiano Ronaldo is chasing his target of scoring 1000 goals. He is currently on 925 goals in his career.