Cristiano Ronaldo fires back at Italian soccer legend after drawing criticism

Now playing for Al Nassr at 39 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo remains focused on scoring goals, winning titles, and breaking records—just as he has throughout his illustrious career. However, his impact on the history of soccer is sometimes questioned, particularly in comparison to other legends. In September, it was an Italian soccer icon who made a statement that didn’t sit well with Ronaldo.

Antonio Cassano is a former Italian striker who played for several teams in the Serie A such as Roma, Inter Milan, and AC Milan, and also for Real Madrid in Spain. Cassano played for Los Blancos from 2005 to 2007, only scoring only 4 goals in 29 appearances—a point Ronaldo didn’t hesitate to highlight when he reached out to the Italian.

“Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t make my top five, or even top ten, because for me the quality of a player is another thing. Next thing, I finish the work I was doing and I get a text message from a +34 number, that’s Spain. It’s a list of all the trophies, goals and statistics,” Cassano told the BSMT Podcast.

But Ronaldo’s response didn’t stop there: “Then he sends me a voice note, telling me, ‘You disrespected me, don’t do anything like that again. You only scored 150 goals, you only won four trophies.’ So I answer him. I say, ‘Dear Cristiano, listen to me. You think I disrespected you, I just don’t like you as a player. What’s the problem?’” he ended.

Antonio Cassano (Real Madrid) and Lucio (Bayern Munich) – Champions League 2006/2007.

While Ronaldo’s and Cassano’s careers are worlds apart, the Portuguese star clearly wanted to draw a distinction between expressing an opinion and dismissing someone’s career. Cassano, however, doubled down, suggesting Ronaldo is overly focused on himself: “Imagine, he took the time to message me.”

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What did Cassano say to Ronaldo?

It was Cassano who ignited the debate earlier this year. In September of this year, the Italian questioned in Viva el Futbol YouTube channel Ronaldo’s skills: “Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t know how to play football. He could score 3,000 goals, I don’t care. Players like Higuaín, Lewandowski, Benzema, Agüero, Ibrahimović, and Suárez understand how to play as part of a team. But Cristiano? What’s his objective? Goal, goal, goal.

“In his last three or four years at Real Madrid, Ronaldo essentially became a central forward. He’s always been a left winger. Want to compare him to the attackers I mentioned? Higuaín, Agüero, Lewandowski, Benzema, Ibrahimović, and Suárez all share one thing in common—they know how to play with their teammates,” he added.

Apart from these comments, Antonio Cassano excluded Ronaldo from his all-time top 10 soccer players. This situation appeared to reach the Portuguese star, prompting his quick response..

Ronaldo vs Cassano stats

According to Transfermarkt, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 905 goals and provided 373 assists in 1,234 games, winning 35 trophies. His time at Real Madrid was particularly memorable, as he claimed five UEFA Champions League titles and netted 450 goals in 438 matches—an extraordinary average of 1.03 goals per game.

By comparison, Cassano’s career numbers are far less impressive. As Ronaldo noted, Cassano scored 149 goals and contributed 122 assists in 554 games across clubs and the Italian national team. The striker won three domestic titles in Italy and one in Spain, but failed to secure any international trophies.

It’s also worth noting that Ronaldo, still playing at 39, continues to add to his record. Cassano, on the other hand, retired in 2018 at the age of 36.