Alexis Sanchez Snubs Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi With His Pick for 'the Greatest Player Ever'

Alexis Sanchez Snubs Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi With His Pick for 'the Greatest Player Ever'

Isaac Darko
updated at February 13, 2024 at 11:54 AM
In this article:
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C. Ronaldo
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  • Ex-Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has had his say on Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo
  • According to the Chilean legend, Ronaldo Nazario is more talented than both of the veterans
  • Sanchez played with the Argentine World Cup winner at a club level with Barcelona in Spain

Former Arsenal star, Alexis Sanchez has snubbed both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as he mentioned his pick for the greatest footballer ever.

Despite sharing the pitch with the mercurial Argentine at FC Barcelona, Sanchez has opted for Ronaldo Nazario as the GOAT of the sport.

The Inter Milan ace and Messi played together 117 times at Camp Nou, contributing to 24 joint goals and claiming several trophies including the La Liga title in 2011/12.

Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez, and Cristiano Ronaldo in action for Inter Miami, Inter Milan, and Al-Nassr respectively..
Former Arsenal star, Alexis Sanchez snubbed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in naming the greatest footballer ever. Photos by Pier Marco Tacca/Khalid Alhaj/Megan Briggs (Getty Images).
Source: Getty Images

While Sanchez never played alongside Portuguese superstar Ronaldo, the Arsenal legend faced the Real Madrid icon 17 times, per Sportskeeda.

In the ongoing debate about the greatest footballer of all time, the Chilean international stated:

"Ronaldo - the phenomenon - for me, is the world number one. I have played with many strong players; I have seen Messi and Ronaldo up close, but he is something else. When he made that fake and went at a mile an hour, it was incredible, a beautiful thing to see in football."

Ronaldo Nazario's career statistics

Throughout his illustrious career, Ronaldo Nazario made 455 senior team appearances in club football, showcasing his sheer talent with 289 goals and 76 assists.

According to Transfermarkt, the Brazilian's extensive list of accomplishments encompasses victories in La Liga and clinching the Ballon d'Or twice. Ronaldo Nazario, with his illustrious career, secured numerous other honours in addition to these prestigious awards.

On the global stage, he proudly represented Brazil in 99 matches, amassing an impressive 62 goals.

Ronaldo's contributions were instrumental in guiding his nation to two World Cup titles, achieved in 1994 and 2002, adding to the rich legacy of Brazilian football.

When Ronaldo met Ronaldo

Sports Brief previously reported on Cristiano Ronaldo meeting Ronaldo Nazario at the Tyson Fury versus Francis Ngannou bout in Saudi Arabia.

R9 was ringside as the Al-Nassr striker arrived at the venue with his partner, Georgina Rodriguez. The two football icons then warmly embraced.

Both Ronaldos got to enjoy an entertaining 10-round boxing fight in the Middle Eastern nation, which Fury won in controversial circumstances.

Authors
Isaac Darko photo
Isaac Darko
Isaac Darko is a La Liga, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga editor at Sports Brief with a Degree in Journalism and Communications from Ghana Institute of Journalism (2010)
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