“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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If you guys keep telling that kaka and others are better than c ronaldo, so how do you explain the fact that all the big european teams are after him, instead of the “good ones”??
- Posted by Robin PiscoMaybe they understand nothing of the business!?
No, Messi is more gifted and Kaka is more influential. Ronaldo’s great against your average teams, eg Newcastle last week, but to be considered the best in the World you need to do it when it matters the most.
Comparisons to Pele, Maradona, Zidane and Best are complete laughable
- Posted by Dancourtney duval says:
January 15th, 2008 at 5:18 pm GMT
facts 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
simply NO, THAT IS JUST RIDICULOUS
- Posted by markibrahimovic is way to inconsistant all tho i am a big fan of his when he is in the mood. i honestly just dont think i can ever remember ronaldo getting the better of ashley cole or clichy. He doesnt play well against big teams, milan last year for example. yes he is a quality player but compared with ppl like zidane and (fat)ronaldo and ronaldinho when they were playing at their best i dont think he even comes close.
- Posted by markMark - in relation to your point. It looks like a good stat (3 goals in 28) but he’s no done worse against the ‘big four’ than other goalscoring midfielders.
Since Ronaldo’s arrival in the Premier League, Gerrard’s scored against his nerest rivals three times in the league and Lampard just twice. And I wouldn’t say Ronaldo’s really underperformed in big Premier League games, would you?
As for people saying Ibrahimovic is better? With his stinking attititude and inconsistencies - pull the other one!
- Posted by Padraic Halpinever seen he had come in to man-u we have been playing very gd nd that how ever that supports man-u his da best
- Posted by tanyai support man-u nd i think that he is the best player ever nd he will alway will be by tanya
- Posted by tanyaVincent- Fabregas plays in the Premier league…so your point is invalid.
- Posted by Fredhe’s a genius ,and has improved since he came man utd,the team-work spirit dwelled on him and he has never dribbled simply for amusing the audience,or tricking the defender!
- Posted by johnhis fast-moving pace,stable and consistent efficiency,strong body enable him toss the goal and he hilariously enjoyed it!
If “best player in the world” is restricted to the EPL alone (like the World Series in the USA), then Ronaldo is the “best in the world.”
If best in the world means the best in the whole world and not just the EPL, then Messi, Kaka, Ibrahimovich, Iniesta, Casillas, even Fabregas are better…
The world does not end with the EPL.
- Posted by VincentRonaldo has played 28 games against the other “big four” teams in england (chelsea, pool and arsenal) and has only scored 3 goals in those games. all against arsenal. u cannot be concidered the best player in the world or anywhere near that title if u do not perform against other top teams. He may seem great agaisnt wigan and fulham and clubs like that but top teams know how to neutralise him. for me messi is the best player at the moment (or was until he was injured) and after him its kaka and fabregas
- Posted by markat this present moment ronaldo is to me the most electrifying footballer out there, for me he represents the modern day football player, he is athletic, fast, very skillfull, trickery and has the ability to change a game, his physicallity makes it hard for defenders to mark the lad, you have to realise he is playing in the epl, which is as physical as it gets, i do agree that he is not the finished product, but has the potential to rule the world, pato is another player of this nature, he seems to have the same potential as mentioned above for c.ronaldo, look out for more youngers with this type ability, messi is good, question though could he survive in the epl?
- Posted by deany k.yes he is an amazing player and deserves all the praise he gets! i hope that he will keep netting the goals for man utd and we will be top of the table come may!
- Posted by karaBefore the term “best” is thrown around anymore, there’s a lot more that goes into it other than stats. On paper and in a fantasy league, sure, he’s great. Based on what he’s done for Man U, he’s pretty gosh darn good. He probably needs to do more with Portugal though before he’s seriously seen as the best. all stats aside, and i’ll give him credit for getting a little better, this kid is far from mature and far from appreciating the beauty of this game. So is he the best footballer in the world now? no. does he have the potential to be? yes. but by that point, Messi will be the best footballer in the world
- Posted by clementsimply yes!!no one in the level of him
- Posted by ROVASYA ,HE IS IN THE CLASS OF PELLE AND MARADONA…HE IS THE SYBOL OF THE GENERATION
- Posted by TADEPELE.. MARADONA..RONALDO(BRAZIL)…NOW IT IS ERA OF CR.RONALDO!!
DEFINETLY,CR7 IS BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD AT A MOMENT EVEN LAST YEAR !HE HAS A CONSTANT PERFORMANCE… KAKA WAS GOOD ONLY ON THE MANUTD GAME …. AT A TIME ALMOST ALL MANUTD DEFENDERS WERE OUT WITH INJIRRIES…HE PLAYED PRIEMER LEAGE ,FA CUP ,UEFA… MIND U HOW MUCH THIS GAY GET TIRED!AC MILAN WAS ONLY STRUGGLING 4 ONLY UEFA!AND DONNOT FORGET SCORING 23 GOALS,HE IS OUTSHINED IN A BIG GAMES ,LOOK WORLD CUP PRTUGAL JOINED THE LAST 4.WE HAVE SEEN BOTH KAKA,AND RONALDINHO IN THE WORLD CUP WITH BRAZIL?REMEBER THE ROMA GAME ….PERSONALLY RONALDO MUCH BETTER THAN ANY PLAYER IN THE WORLD.HE IS IN THE CLASS OF PELE AND MARADONA!HE IS JUST 22,AT THIS AGE ZIDANE WAS A SCRATCH!
- Posted by tadronatoday, maybe yes
tomorrow, maybe no
It’s too fluctuate for a football player name as ‘the best’
you can see it in , e.g: ronaldo, zidane
- Posted by snydezKaka,Messi,Zlatan,Ronaldhino,Tevez and the Italian players.There are plenty wonderful players.The Eastern Europe players are underrated and expect to see more Eastern Europe success in the future.How many Eastern European WON THEIR eURO QUALIFYING DIVISIONS?
- Posted by drewRonaldo has to prove his mettle at the European stage too. To play an instrumental role and score the vital goals which bring the trophies to Manchester United, only then will his status as the world’s best be confirmed.
- Posted by JohnST