FORMER Manchester United star Nani believes Cristiano Ronaldo is the “best player ever” and is better than Lionel Messi and Pele.
The pair played together at Old Trafford for two years between 2007-09 before Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid and Nani believes his compatriot is the standout footballer of all time.
The 33-year-old, now captain of Orlando City in the MLS, told Football Wave: “One player who really surprised me and impressed me a lot in the beginning was Paul Scholes – he was phenomenal.
“My favourite was still Cristiano Ronaldo – the best.
“Best player ever? I have seen so many… even from the past like Maradona, Pele… but I would pick my companion of many battles, someone I have won so much with, someone I really respect.
“Numbers don’t lie and they also show he is the best – Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Nani joined United from Sporting Lisbon in 2007 and made over 200 appearances for the club, scoring 36 times before a move back to the Portuguese side.
The winger enjoyed a successful spell under Sir Alex Ferguson, winning four Premier League titles and a Champions League with a dramatic penalty shootout win over Chelsea in 2008.
Nani has also made an impact on the international stage, winning 112 caps for Portugal.
Asked about his toughest opponents, Nani said: “Maybe Petr Cech.
“I scored a few against him but he was always tough to face.
“He was tall, agile and tough to beat.
“Ashley Cole [gave me trouble]. He was really tough in the beginning.
“But then I got used to him and put him in my pocket!”
Another Portuguese star has started to make a name for himself at Old Trafford and that is Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes, just like Nani and Ronaldo, joined from Sporting Lisbon and has made an instant impact for United, scoring three times in his nine games so far.
The debate over who is the better footballer between Ronaldo and Messi continues to rumble on, with fans of both defending their favourite for the past decade.
With Ronaldo aged 35 and Messi just three years younger, the debate over who is the world’s best will soon be coming to an end, as football prepares for a new generation.
The likes of Jadon Sancho, Kylian Mbappe and Kai Havertz will be battling it out to be the fan favourite crown for the foreseeable future.
