The soccer world was thrown into an endless debate after Cristiano Ronaldo declared himself the greatest player of all time, overlooking the likes of Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Pelé, and Alfredo Di Stéfano. Ronaldo’s comments sparked reactions from global stars, including Zinedine Zidane and Dutch icon Marco van Basten.
Zidane, who once managed Ronaldo at Real Madrid, backed his former player, stating, “what he has done, no one else has,” and that “the stats speak for themselves.” However, van Basten had a much sharper take, directly addressing the controversy.
Back in June 2022, the three-time Ballon d’Or winner shared his thoughts on the rivalry between Ronaldo, now with Al Nassr, and Messi, captain of Inter Miami. “Cristiano is a great player, but those who say he’s better than Messi don’t know anything about soccer or are saying it in bad faith,” Van Basten told Corriere dello Sport. He went on to heap praise on Messi.
“He’s unique. Impossible to imitate and impossible to repeat. A player like him appears every 50 or 100 years. As a child, he fell into the pot of soccer genius,” said the Utrecht-born striker, who scored 282 goals in 379 matches for Ajax and AC Milan. van Basten also tallied 34 goals in 73 appearances for the Netherlands.
Lionel Messi kisses World Cup torphy after defeating France in the 2022 Qatar Final. (IMAGO / ActionPictures)
While van Basten acknowledged Ronaldo’s remarkable career, his pick in the Messi-Ronaldo debate was clear: Messi. However, he stopped short of calling the Argentine the greatest of all time. For Van Basten, the top three players in history belong to a different era.
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Not Messi or Ronaldo: Dutch legend Van Basten names his three greatest players of all time
“Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Johan Cruyff are, for me, the three best players in history,” he told Spain’s Marca in mid-2022. “As a kid, I wanted to be like Cruyff. He was my friend. I miss him. Pelé and Maradona were also incredible,” he added.
Cristiano Ronaldo nears 1,000 goals amid title drought
Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal-scoring exploits continue as the Portuguese forward now sits at 923 official goals. He reached this milestone with a brace against Al Wasl in the seventh round of AFC Champions League Group B action.
However, Ronaldo is approaching a surprising milestone of a different kind: nearly four years without a title. His last triumph came on May 19, 2021, when Juventus defeated Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final, with goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Federico Chiesa.
Since then, Ronaldo’s second stint at Manchester United ended in disappointment, and at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, he has struggled to eclipse rivals Al Hilal and Al Ittihad domestically.
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Argentine legend ignites debate with controversial take on Messi vs. Cristiano rivalry
Lionel Messi chasing Ronaldo in the goal race
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is second on the all-time scoring list with 850 official goals. Though the Argentine has yet to play an official match in 2025 with Inter Miami, he showcased his brilliance in a recent friendly against Honduras’ Olimpia, scoring once and providing two assists in a 5-0 rout.
Messi’s official 2025 season kicks off on Tuesday, February 18, when Inter Miami visits Sporting Kansas City for the opening round of the Concacaf Champions Cup.
