Cristiano Ronaldo has said that he is the most complete footballer in the history of the game. Ronaldo claimed that he has got the best numbers as far as goal-scoring is concerned and thus it puts him above everyone else.
Ronaldo has won the prestigious Ballon d’Or on five occasions and he is been often compared with Lionel Messi, who has won the award on eight occasions.
Ronaldo has scored 923 goals (for both club and country) in his glorious career, which is the most for any footballer in history. Messi, on the other hand, has netted 850 goals in his glittering career.
The Portuguese scored a brace in Al Nassr’s 4-0 AFC Champions League win over Al Wasl on Monday.
“Who’s the best goal scorer in history? It’s about numbers. Full stop,” Ronaldo told Spanish television show El Chiringuito in an extensive interview on Monday.
“Who’s the player in history who’s scored most goals with their head, their left foot, penalties, free kicks? I was looking the other day, and not being left-footed, I’m in the top 10 goal scorers with their left foot in history. And with my head, and with my right foot, and penalties. All of them.”
Ronaldo said he has produced the numbers to be crowned as the best player of all time.
“I’m talking about numbers,” Ronaldo said. “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.”
Ronaldo, who is all set to turn 40 on Wednesday, said he has no plans of retiring from the game.
“I’m so competitive that sometimes I forget what I’ve achieved,” he said, “Because it gives me motivation to do more and do better every year … I think that’s the difference with others. Somebody else in my position would have left football 10 years ago. I’m different, full stop.”
Ronaldo will be in action in Al Nassr’s next match against Al Feiha at Al-Awwal Park on Friday.
