“I had the great opportunity to play with the best players” - When Kaka snubbed both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in GOAT debate

AC Milan legend Kaka once snubbed both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to name Ronaldo Nazario as the best player he had played with.

Football fans have been embroiled in the GOAT debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for well over a decade. However, Kaka opted to go down a different route when asked to give his take during the FIFA World Cup trophy tour event in New York back in November 2022.

The Brazilian said (via SI):

“I had the great opportunity to play with the best players in the world. I’ve played with Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, [Andriy] Shevchenko, [Paolo] Maldini. I’ve played with Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo, [Karim] Benzema but the best one for me … is Ronaldo Fenômeno.”

Kaka played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo during his four-year tenure at Real Madrid between 2009 and 2013. The pair found some success together, winning two trophies, including one La Liga title. The 41-year-old also played alongside Ronaldo Nazario for the Brazil national team, where they won three major honors - including the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Ronaldo was nicknamed "O Fenomeno" ("The Phenomenon") in Brazil. He established himself as one of the greatest forwards to ever play the game and was renowned for his finishing, movement, technical skills, and dribbling.

The former Real Madrid superstar netted 298 goals and registered 76 assists in 454 appearances across all competitions for club and country. While his career statistics don't quite match Ronaldo's or Messi's, his legacy left a massive impact as the latter admitted that Ronaldo Nazario was his hero growing up back in 2012 (as per FourFourTwo).

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How have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi fared across their careers compared to Ronaldo Nazario?

Kaka once named Ronaldo Nazario as his GOAT over Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi despite the former not being as good from a statistical point of view. Let's take a look at how Ronaldo and Messi have fared over the years in comparison.

Ronaldo is currently the leading goalscorer of all time, having scored 873 goals and 249 assists in 1204 appearances across all competitions for club and country. He has also won five Ballons d'Or, in comparison to Ronaldo Nazario's two, and has also won 35 major trophies while the latter has won 16.

In contrast, Lionel Messi has won eight Ballons d'Or and 44 trophies - the most in football history. The 36-year-old has also scored 821 goals and registered 361 assists in 1047 appearances for club and country and is still going strong for MLS club Inter Miami.