Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has been once again been nominated for the FIFA best player award. CR7 is vying with Real Madrid’s Luka Modric and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah for The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018 award.
Ronaldo is a name the football fraternity swears by.
Be it football great Diego Maradona or former two-weight world champion boxer Paulie Malignaggi, sportsmen have always heaped praises on the Juventus star.
In an article published on the official website, FIFA.com had described Cristiano Ronaldo in the words of others.
Take a look at what they have said about the Juventus star.
“Ronaldo can now leave Earth and play with Martians. He has done everything here,” Alvaro Arbeloa wrote on Twitter following Ronaldo’s bicycle goal against Juventus.
“Cristiano lacks nothing. I’m a tennis fanatic. Cristiano is like [Rafa] Nadal, a fantastic athlete built not only on talent, but also hard work and desire. He has these gifts from Mother Nature. The insane physique, but also his mentality, the consistency of his training, his professionalism – all the things I hated. He’s only 33 years old in the registry office – he looks after his physique maniacally. He’ll remain in history, forever, as one of the greats,” Antonio Cassano was quoted as saying by Vanity Fair.
“I was definitely better! (laughs) You know what I think: Cristiano is miles better, but I didn’t have a bad career either. Ronaldo is the best player of his generation – by a long way,” former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane responds to being asked who was the better player between him and Ronaldo
“Great skill gets you so far, but there have been many players like that. Think of Rivaldo, Figo, the Brazilian Ronaldo, Ronaldinho. They were phenomenal, but they were contesting to be the best in the world for only two or three years. Cristiano has been in the discussion every year for a decade. He gets 50 goals a season time and again. Having Lionel Messi around at the same time means he’s been pushed to even greater heights. Muhammad Ali needed Joe Frazier, Federer needed Nadal, Larry Bird needed Magic Johnson. You never spoke about one without mentioning the other,” Rio Ferdinand told The Sun
“It is just not human what he is doing. The stats are something, but just the intensity that he has in his game. His motivation is huge – his face is completely red after the game! (laughs) He represents all his clubs and his country well. He is a very handsome guy as well, so he has it all! I would say that there is no equivalent,” Louis Saha to Goal.
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Are You Not Entertained!?!?! @cristiano That’s just not even fair🤦🏾♂️. Nasty!! 👏🏾👑
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“He scores more goals in games than I do in training,” Sandro Wagner of Germany.
“He’s a wonderful player. When the team needs him, he shows up. After ‘El Flaco’ Cruyff, there haven’t been many players with that quality,” Football great Diego Maradona.
This is why he’s one of the best to ever do it. What a clutch free kick by @Cristiano #WorldCup2018
— Paul Malignaggi (@PaulMalignaggi) June 15, 2018
“He has every right to feel he is [the greatest footballer of all time]. He’s achieved fantastic things. In terms of statistics, he really is above the great legends of world football,” Brazil Ronald said at a charity event.
“In front of goal, he’s like a machine. There is a no more complete striker than Ronaldo. Left foot, right foot, head – he is in perfect control of everything he does,” Jerome Boateng told Kicker.
Two hours ago, I had more career World Cup goals than Ronaldo, clearly making me the better player. Then he scored a hat trick 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
— Landon Donovan (@landondonovan) June 15, 2018
“He’s the best player in the world. He’s a working monster. He arrives first and leaves last. He’s working and working. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus teammate Blaise Matuidi to Telefoot.