“I believe there’s a very special group" - When Ronaldo Nazario snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo but picked Lionel Messi in 8 greatest footballers list

Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario picked Lionel Messi but snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo in his list of top eight footballers of all time back in 2022. He chose a host of legends but didn't pick the Portuguese star.

Speaking to The Guardian two years ago, Ronaldo stated that Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Pelé, Marco van Basten, and Ronaldinho were on his best-ever list along with himself. He, however, refused to rank them. He said:

"I believe there's a very special group where you have Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Pelé, Marco van Basten, Ronaldinho… I include myself. Let the fans decide, let them debate it in the bars. But you can't rank them, you can't compare generations."

When asked about Cristiano in 2017, Ronaldo Nazario had said (via GOAL):

"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. I did what I could, the best I could. I'm doing other things now, important things, and I want to keep improving myself. As a footballer I can't do any more now."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are widely believed to be the two best footballers of the modern era.

Jose Mourinho believes Ronaldo Nazaio is better than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Jose Mourinho was talking to LiveScore in 2020 when he claimed that Ronaldo Nazario was the most talented player ever. He stated that the Brazilian was better than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi but injures cut short his career.

He said (via Bolavip):

"If we're talking about pure talent and skill, nobody surpasses the Brazilian. He's not like Cristiano or Messi, who have been at the top for 15 years; injuries cut his career short. The talent that kid had at 19 was something incredible. When I was with him at Barcelona under Bobby Robson, I realized he was the best player I had ever seen. If we're talking purely about talent, no one surpasses him."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are in the twilight of their career now. The Portuguese is currently playing with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, while the Argentine is in the MLS with Inter Miami.