Cristiano Ronaldo says he's the best player EVER, true relationship with Messi and the nearly Barcelona transfer
On the brink of his 40th birthday Cristiano Ronaldo has given his most blunt interview ever - and says he doesn't believe any player comes close to matching him.
The Portuguese icon, who has scored almost 1,000 goals across a glittering career that has seen him lift the Champions League five times, Euro 2016, seven league titles and five Ballon d'Ors, revealed all in a 50 minute interview with Edu Aguirre for Spanish show El Chiringuito de Jugones. And he was in no mood to be humble about his career achievements - whilst also slating previous managers, saying: "I had some really bad coaches. Some of them don't have a clue about football at all."
Ronaldo also opened up on his rivalry with Lionel Messi, with the pair spending more than a decade vying for the crown of the world's best player, but couldn't resist having a swipe at the Argentine for moving to America's MLS to finishing his career - labelling the division weaker than the Saudi Pro League, where he currently stars for Al Nassr.
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Asked for his take on who the best player of all time was, Cristiano didn't pause to think before saying: "If I finish on 920, 925 goals, it doesn't matter to me at all. I am the best in history. Period. If I reach 1,000 goals, great. If not, that's fine too. Numbers don’t lie. I’m the most complete player ever. To say that Cristiano isn’t complete is a lie. You may prefer Pele, Messi, Maradona, I understand and respect that. But I am the best player ever, I believe that. I'm fast, I'm strong, I score with my head, with the left, no one has ever been more complete than me."
The ever-humble 39-year-old also revealed that he could have joined Messi at Barcelona earlier in his career, and said that the two players enjoy their rivalry - despite it sparking furious disagreements between fans online. He continued: "I have a good relationship with Leo Messi. I was translating him in English at an award ceremony too. It was funny. It was a healthy rivalry, we got along. I could have played for Barca before Manchester United. I was at Sporting, they tried to sign me, they wanted me. But then Manchester United appeared.
"I will always have Madrid in my heart though, it was the team where I was happiest. I have done very important things there, very beautiful things and that is why people do not forget. When you leave a legacy and a mark, people do not forget. But I loved playing in the Camp Nou. They booed me, they insulted me, and I loved it."
