“Cristiano Ronaldo is not only the best player in the world…but probably the single most gifted player to play in England since the Belfast Boy….What a *so and so* player. I am in awe…”
So wrote the curiously named Pimpy the Magic Elf on the RedCafe message board after Cristiano Ronaldo scored three of Manchester United’s six goals in Saturday’s second half demolition of Newcastle.
So just how good is Ronaldo? On current form, he must surely be the world’s best.
He’s always had the skill, talent, and particularly in the aftermath of that wink, the attitude to excel. Over the past season and a half however, he’s maximised these attributes to become more indispensable than any other player.
The statistics are staggering. His 25 goals in all competitions last season led him to an unprecedented clean sweep of England’s three major individual honours. This term he’s scored 22 in all competitions, with 16 coming in the league. And remember, he’s a winger and it’s still January.
Comparatively, it gets scarier. He’s already scored as many Premier League goals (51) as Steven Gerrard and is fast catching the league’s highest scoring midfielders Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes (95). His team mates took a combined 737 games to reach their totals. Ronaldo has almost averaged a goal every other game in his 112.
But the best since Belfast Boy George Best?
There’s still a bit to go. Question marks remain over a failure to yet light up the latter stages of the Champions League as Kaka did last season or indeed Best 39 years earlier. Despite performing well in major tournaments for Portugal, he was found wanting in both their Euro 2004 final and World Cup 2006 semi-final exits.
But you just get the feeling all that could change in the coming months. With United on course to crack the Champions League again and Euro 2008 on the horizon, he is on the verge of reaching the kind of heights last scaled by Zinedine Zidane 10 years ago.
First he must celebrate a birthday in February. His 23rd. That is perhaps the most frightening statistic of all.
Click here to read an envy-filled tribute to Ronaldo by Mitch Phillips, but please leave your comments about the Manchester United maestro below.
Padraic Halpin, London
PHOTO: Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his third goal in Manchester United’s 6-0 win over Newcastle United in the Premier League, Jan 12 REUTERS/Phil Noble
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Ronaldo is simply the best player at this given time. His stats speak for themselves, he’s the top goal scorer in the EPL and the top goal scorer in the champions league despite missing 3 games to a red card in the EPL and missing the final group game in the CL because ManU had already clinched 1st place.
This talk about CR not performing in big games is based on ManU’s exit last year from the champions league to Milan. But has everyone forgotten how ManU came back from being down 4-1 in goal differential to knock out Roma in the champions league last year?? I’d say that was a big game and Ronaldo was the star of the game.
- Posted by NelsonMan,you people need to open your eyes are you freakin kidding me,messi,kaka,and blah blah blah ,people this kid is amazing forget about his eyebrows forget the winker forget the dives this kid is by far the best player in the world !!!!
- Posted by Marioaah don’t talk shitt,Roony is the best player in the world homie
tha’s reality,and if you want to dream crown kaka messi or anotha player as the best
Ronaldo 7 nr.1 (H)
- Posted by valon‘Well i just don’t know what to say about Ronaldo he has everything, at the moment he is the worlds best player i reckon and so should others fairly, he is unbelieveable even though i’m a Arsenal Fan and i do have to admit Anderson is much better player that Fabregas he (Anderson) remind of Ronaldiniho everytime he has the ball, he haardly gives it away to his opponent. But hey Ronaldo is simply the best at the moment, not everyone finds their form every season so quickly.
- Posted by AbbieI think personally; he is a great player, man td wouldn’t b able to survive without him. I jst think that he is a winger who has scored 22 golas this season, so therefore, i do see as the best player in the world because of his position. Also isnt he the leading scorer in the champions league???
- Posted by Nikki BensonAmazing player, but he can’t be classed as the best becuase he cheats-simple as that. To be the best he must play with honour, his freekick at the weekend - genius, they thought he’d kick it over them, so he went under them! But….look at the replay, there was no contact made at all, not even a whisker, yet he went diving to the floor. Disgusting.
- Posted by Chnfacts straight cristiano is the best in the world i wish everyone would stop tricking their eyes and jus look how good he its i thing he is the better than zidane henry kaka messi ronaldinho zlatan he is the best footballer and will go down in the history as the best footballer that ever lived
- Posted by courtney duvalNo one is saying he should be listed with the greats of the game (yet)
Don’t get your terms muddled, gifted means his talent and nothing more. LeTisser…. a very gifted player, probably the equal of Hoddle and Gazza, but he lacked the drive to become anything more than what he was.
So, is Ronaldo the most gifted player since Best, it’s obvious to me, although I admit I am biased being a United fan, that he is.
- Posted by IanThe debate for the world’s best could go on forever - and long may it do so - but I think in terms of the ammount of games thet’ve won and points they’ve accumulated for their teams, Kaka and Ronaldo are currently unrivalled
As I said in the blog, he’s still got to do it in the big games yet he does have time on his side. Kaka was in his first season with Milan at 22. But a circus performer, Terriers? Seems a little unfair given the goals to games ratio.
- Posted by Padraic HalpinHe is an extremely good player; personally though I feel he is overhyped as he is one of the few players in England who can produce the kind of things rarely seen in the Premiership. I’d personally have Kaka, Ibrahimovic and Messi on my team instead of Ronaldo!! Hearing things like best player in this era/ever only shows extreme ignorance of Global football!
- Posted by JonathanNO he is not, the likes of messi and kaka are way superior!
Ronaldo always plays good football in small games. But he always fails in BIG GAMES.
What happened to him against AC MILAN??? Was he even playing..? To be the best in the world you must deliver against top teams. Not teams like Newcastle, Fulham and the boltons of this world.
There is only 1 true legend who goes by the name of Ronaldo. Brazilian one!
- Posted by AmjadCristiano Ronaldo is the most exciting player I’ve seen for a long time. Obviously he is within an exceptionally good team and surrounded by other very good players; this helps.
- Posted by frank observerI’d upset too many people if I said he was better than George but I think he is outstanding. Certainly he is a better goal scorer than Best & his all round game is better than Greaves (who used to put them away from all angles). I wouldn’t have him up with Pele but as far as the best around right now, he’d take some beating for sure. Not my favourite for personality & character but yep I’ll have to agree with Padraic Halpin’s comments.
More of a Circus performer, entertaining tricks but lack vision, modesty and likeability. Nowhere to be seen when the game is important or big dives when going gets tough. I suspect he may just fade anyway.
- Posted by TerriersNo he’s not the best player. fabregas is.
(I’m an Arsenal supporter)
- Posted by MeIt pains me to agree that he’s the best player in the EPL now.
But to be the listed amongst the greats, he needs to achieve a win in either the Champion’s league, the World Cup or at least the Euro. He’s still young, plenty of time to join a team with better european pedigree
- Posted by Five TimesMost definetly the best player of the modern era. To be regarded the best player ever, Ronaldo has to cut out the constant diving. Lets hope he stays at manchester for the next few years so we can all see first hand how he is going to develop.
- Posted by AllanQuite simply, yes. He is the best player in the world at this point in time. Whether he wins the Champions League and Euro/World Cup or not is not entirely up to him. In fact, it depends a lot more on whether his United and Portugal team-mates can play at his level.
- Posted by Red DevilBest player in the world may be pushing it a bit, but he’s probably the most useful/best value/however you want to put it player in England. Man U took a big gamble when they signed him for so much money and it’s paid off handsomely. Guess he’ll be number one on the Real Madrid list of targets for next season.
- Posted by Kev[...] Is Cristiano Ronaldo the best player in the world? (Reuters Soccer Blog) [...]
- Posted by Daily Dose 01.14.08 - World Cup Blog - African Cup of Nations 2008Of course he is wonderful but lets not get carried away (as Italian football has about Pato on Sunday night - see earlier blog).
- Posted by Mark MeadowsRonaldo’s freekick on Saturday skittled along the floor and Given should have saved it. One of his other goals only went in via a deflection and Newcastle’s defending generally was abject.
I would say he is the best at the moment but only because Ronaldinho, Henry and to an extent Kaka have been off their games this season.
Cristiano still has a long way to go before he can gain the gravitas of a Best or Zidane, even accepting the drinking and headbutts.