Jose Mourinho has expressed his opinion on who he believes is the greatest footballer ever, discounting both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi despite their remarkable accomplishments. As Ronaldo celebrates his 40th birthday this Wednesday, he can look back on an extraordinary career spanning more than 20 years, with five Ballon d’Or awards and five Champions League trophies to his name. The seasoned Al-Nassr forward even scored twice this week, adding to an impressive record 1353 years after his professional career began, and is aiming for a historic achievement of 1,000 goals. The longstanding rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi has marked a significant era in football, as they elevated the sport during their time with Real Madrid and Barcelona, surpassing records held by previous legends. However, despite their impressive combined total of 13 Ballon d’Ors, Mourinho, now with Fenerbahce and a former manager of Manchester United, does not consider either player to have superior footballing talent compared to Ronaldo Nazario de Lima, affectionately known as ‘Ronaldo El Fenomeno.’ This perspective stems from Mourinho’s personal experience coaching Ronaldo to a La Liga title and facing Messi’s strong skills on the field. In an interview with LiveScore, Mourinho shared his opinion on the greatest player, stating: “Ronaldo, El Fenomeno.” Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had lengthy careers, maintaining their status among the best for 15 years. “Nevertheless, if the focus is solely on talent and skill, no one is more skilled than Ronaldo. Injuries ended a career that had the potential to be even more remarkable, yet the talent that 19-year-old possessed was truly amazing. The Brazilian soccer player, who retired in 2011, won the World Cup on two occasions and received two Ballon d’Or awards. During the late 1990s, while playing for Barcelona and Inter Milan, he was dubbed ‘O Fenomeno’ (The Phenomenon) because of his exceptional combination of technique, speed, finishing, skill, and raw power. Mourinho had the opportunity to see this extraordinary talent up close when he worked as an assistant and translator for the esteemed Bobby Robson during Ronaldo’s one season (1996/1997) at Barcelona. Jose Mourinho later won La Liga with Cristiano Ronaldo. Unfortunately, the South American player’s career was marred by severe knee injuries, preventing him from experiencing as prolonged a prime as Ronaldo or Messi, leaving him without a Champions League winners’ medal. In contrast, the 40-year-old and Messi have had no such issues, with Messi earning four Champions League titles. Mourinho acknowledged that Messi has the upper hand in comparisons with Ronaldo. When asked by Rio Ferdinand about who is the better player of their time, Mourinho responded, “Definitely the little guy [Messi],” as reported by the Mirror.
