“His knee was devastated but was still incredible” - Ex-Milan star answers when asked if Brazilian Ronaldo can match Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi
Former AC Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini has drawn comparisons between Ronaldo Nazario and Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He heaped praise on the Brazilian but said that he was perhaps not at the level of the other two.
Ronaldo Nazario is widely considered one of the greatest strikers of all time. He was lethal in front of goal and played for the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and more. However, he also had to deal with numerous injury issues which cut his career short.
In a recent interview with JeffBet, Ambrosini was asked about Ronaldo's comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He answered (via GOAL):
"I don’t know if Ronaldo could’ve reached the level of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, despite him being an incredible player. He was maybe 10 kilos heavier when he was at AC Milan and his knee was devastated but he was still incredible."
"I have doubts over the Messi and Ronaldo comparison because they did it at the very top level for 15 years, they are special. Ronaldo enjoyed living in a certain way. He had the talent and the skills and would’ve got close to what Lionel Messi has done, but it’s different."
Ambrosini shared the pitch 15 times with Ronaldo Nazario during their time together at AC Milan.
Ronaldo Nazario recently ranked Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo among the all time greats
While many Consider Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo the two greatest footballers of all time, Ronaldo Nazario is not of the same opinion. The Brazilian icon recently shared his ranking of some of the greatest players of all time. While Messi was joint second in his list, Ronaldo made it into the top 10.
Ronaldo Nazario said (via 90min):
"Cristiano Ronaldo has a fantastic history, he has won everything, scored goals in every possible way. He is definitely among the best in history. Now, I don't agree with him being the best. But I respect his opinion... I would say he is easily in the top ten."
"Pele is number one, without a doubt. Then come Messi and [Diego] Maradona, tied together. "[Next] Zico, Romario, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Marco] van Basten, [Zinedine] Zidane, [Luis] Figo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho Gaucho... A series of players. There are many great players on this list, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some. Every time someone asks me about this ranking, I make a different list. Only these first three are definitive."
While many fans, legends, pundits, and others have weighed in on the GOAT debate, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are still active. The Portuguese is set to feature for Portugal in their UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Denmark this week. Meanwhile, the Argentine is currently injured for his national side's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
