Former England striker Gary Lineker has sparked fresh debate over the greatest footballer of all time after placing Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário slightly ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast hosted by John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy, Lineker acknowledged Cristiano Ronaldo’s extraordinary career but argued that the Portuguese forward does not possess some of the qualities associated with Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.
Lineker praised Cristiano’s goalscoring record, describing him as one of the greatest players in football history.
However, he said there is a difference between being an outstanding goal scorer and having the ability to influence a game in multiple ways.
According to Lineker, Cristiano does not have the same dribbling ability, close control or vision that Messi and Maradona displayed during their careers.
He highlighted the way Messi can beat several defenders, escape difficult situations and create opportunities that appear almost impossible.
Despite his assessment, Lineker did not dismiss Cristiano’s place among football’s elite. The Portuguese star remains one of the most successful and prolific players in football history, with more than 970 career goals, five Ballon d’Or awards and five Champions League titles.
Lineker instead placed Brazilian Ronaldo ahead of Cristiano, although he admitted the difference was only slight.
The former England striker also mentioned players such as Zinedine Zidane, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé as belonging to the same broad group of exceptional talents, with some capable of moving higher in the all-time rankings.
