Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of the most influential strikers in the world, even at the age of 40. His remarkable career speaks for itself, but he continues to showcase his talents week in and week out with Al Nassr. This sentiment is echoed by many of his former teammates but recently a former Real Madrid player and World Cup finalist offered an unexpected perspective on the forward.
Asked about the best players he has played with during his 18-year professional career, Rafael van der Vaart didn’t hesitate. “Of course I have to mention Ronaldo because I played for a year at Real Madrid with him,” he said during an interview with TalkSport.
However, the Netherlands legend then shared an unexpected opinion. “If you ask me who had the better technique, me or Ronaldo, I would say myself in terms of first touch and passing,” Rafael admitted. But he quickly highlighted what, in his view, was the key factor that made Cristiano superior: “His way of thinking is the biggest difference.”
Van der Vaart went on to elaborate on Ronaldo’s mentality. “He was so fit and so focused on scoring goals and winning things,” he said. “You see from really close how special he is, how much effort he puts in every day… he was in the gym training two or three times a day, recovering, and then scoring goals.”
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with Rafael Van Der Vaart after Real Madrid scored their 4th goal during the La Liga match against Valladolid and Real Madrid on March 14, 2010.
The differences between Ronaldo and van der Vaart
Rafael van der Vaart played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for one season at Real Madrid, during the 2009-10 campaign, which was CR7’s first year in Spain after his transfer from Manchester United. That year together was enough for van der Vaart to gain a deep appreciation for Ronaldo’s relentless winning mentality.
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“When he scored three, he wanted four, so that was a big quality – and he’s still doing it at his age,” Rafael explained. “I was not a player like that. I liked to go out, enjoy life… When I scored one goal after ten minutes, I thought, okay, we’ve had a good game, and I can just enjoy it now.”
Van der Vaart also shared how his experience alongside Cristiano has impacted him personally. “For me, I have a son who is 18 and plays for Ajax Under-19s, and I always give Ronaldo as an example because he was never satisfied,” he said.
Van der Vaart had a successful career
Rafael van der Vaart enjoyed a successful career at the top level of European soccer for over a decade. His early years at Ajax between 2000 and 2005 were particularly formative, leading him to a move to the Bundesliga with Hamburg and later to Real Madrid. However, he was unable to fully settle in Spain and after just two seasons, he moved on to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur.
Although he never replicated his early success at club level, van der Vaart had an impressive international career with the Netherlands national team. He participated in three UEFA European Championships (2004, 2008, and 2012) and two FIFA World Cups (2006 and 2010). His most significant impact came during the 2010 tournament in South Africa, where the Netherlands reached the final but lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time, falling just short of their first-ever World Cup title.
