Former Manchester United Star Nani Overlooks Ronaldo, Picks His Greatest Footballer Ever, Video
- Former Manchester United star Nani has chosen his greatest football player of all time
- The duo of Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina legend Lionel Messi have shattered records and lifted trophies in the 21st century
- Nani admonished the fans to enjoy the artistry of Ronaldo and Messi while they are still active
Former Sporting Lisbon star Nani has snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in naming his greatest footballer of all time.
The Portugal legend played alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United, where both stars won the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup.
Source: Getty Images
Nani mentions greatest footballer in history
Former Fenerbahce star Nani acknowledged the immense influence of Ronaldo and Messi in modern football, noting their continued impact on the sport.
Speaking with ESPN, the former Valencia player explained that his selections were based on different historical categories in football, ranging from the best finisher to the most complete player.
The Manchester United legend named Brazilian icon Ronaldinho Gaucho as the greatest footballer in history.
Ronaldinho won the FIFA World Cup in 2002, the Ballon d’Or in 2005, the UEFA Champions League, and lifted the La Liga title twice during his illustrious career.
The 39-year-old also picked Argentina legend Lionel Messi as the greatest playmaker of all time and Brazilian great Romario as the best finisher in history.
Nani named his former teammate Nemanja Vidic as the best defender of all time, while Belgian legend Michel Preud’homme was selected as the greatest goalkeeper.
Nani further chose Brazilian legend Denílson as the greatest dribbler in football history, ranking him above Messi, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho.
Fans react to Nani's comments
@Fan23X said:
"He knows Messi is the GOAT but he doesn't want to trigger Ronaldo fanbase."
@fkaybanny wrote:
"Ask him the best Portuguese player and he might still call himself or Figo😭."
@observe_observe added:
"I won’t blame him. If you were Ronaldo’s teammate at United or any of the big English clubs you won’t believe he’s the best player anywhere. He improved so well in Madrid though. But when he was at United, he was good but there were at least 4 players better than him in the team."
@JotaCe_DeCaux said
"Real fútbol ppl don't rank Agnes as all time great top 10... he's nailed the longevity & kudos but he's no better then Bale or Van Nistelrooy."
Source: Getty Images
Stop the Messi-Ronaldo comparison - Nani
Former Sporting Lisbon Nani has appealed to football fans to stop comparing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2025.
The Portugal legend said football will not be the same when both legends retire. He said via GOAL:
"He's a machine, he's a different player and you can tell by the level he's reached in football. We criticise Ronaldo and Messi a lot, but the day they retire, football won't be the same.
"We have to make the most of it while they're still on the pitch."
Mbappe equals Ronaldo, beats Messi's record
Legit.ng earlier reported that Kylian Mbappe has now scored 11 goals in six matches during the opening phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.
The former Monaco star has moved ahead of Lionel Messi, who previously held the record for the second-highest goals in the group stage with 10 goals for Barcelona in the 2016/17 season.
Source: Legit.ng
