Ronaldo vs Ronaldo

[sullydnl]

Brazilian Ronaldo's peak club goal tally was 47. C Ronaldo's was 61. He beat B. Ronaldo's best in six different seasons.

Even leaving aside longevity (which obviously wins this discussion for Cristiano right off the bat) you'd have a hard time seriously arguing that Brazilian Ronaldo's best season was better than every one of the six seasons Cristiano scored more than him.

 

[El Jefe]

Brazilian Ronaldo is probably a better natural footballer but I just don't see a case for ranking him above Cristiano.

When you factor in impact, goals, trophies, memorable moments, awards it really becomes very clear that Cristiano is well ahead.

R9's trajectory from 21 without the injury would've been top 5 player of all time at the very least. His Barca and Inter seasons were ridiculous but those were standard Cristiano seasons from 2011 to 2017.

In a way Ronaldo's career was like cutting Messi’s trajectory in 2010. A real shame we were robbed of him achieving his full potential. The version we got from 2002-2005 was still incredible though.

 

[dumbo]

Would take 21 year old Ronaldo over any version of Ronaldo

Also, let's face it, the only reason the portuguese even ever chose to be known by his MIDDLE NAME was to bank on the fame of Ronaldo

A Ronaldo with knees is in there with Messi and Maradona. Cronaldo could never ever be in that company. The natural gifts simply are not there.

Career portfolio is different though, and sure Cronaldo had more cumulative days of glamour and champagne than Ronaldo or Maradona. And if you think the value of a player should be judged on the number of chest jutting celebrations then have at it. Me, however thinks the best player is the one who is the best at football, and that will always be Ronaldo. Cronaldo is a hugely impressive footballer but he was never unbelievable to me - Ronaldo was.

 

[RedRonaldo]

Stick CR7 in 1990s serieA and his goal scored would drop like a stone. Scoring once a game was an achievement, scoring a goal a game for a few consecutive games was rare.

I'd say its easier to score in la liga during CR7s time there then it was during R9s time in serieA.

Bierhoff outscore peak R9 in serie A though.

Can't wait to see Bierhoff outscore Ronaldo/Messi too in todays time

 

[RedBanker]

A Ronaldo with knees is in there with Messi and Maradona. Cronaldo could never ever be in that company. The natural gifts simply are not there.

Career portfolio is different though, and sure Cronaldo had more cumulative days of glamour and champagne than Ronaldo or Maradona. And if you think the value of a player should be judged on the number of chest jutting celebrations then have at it. Me, however thinks the best player is the one who is the best at football, and that will always be Ronaldo. Cronaldo is a hugely impressive footballer but he was never unbelievable to me - Ronaldo was.

Brilliant and accurate.

 

[GifLord]

Bierhoff outscore peak R9 in serie A though.

Can't wait to see Bierhoff outscore Ronaldo/Messi too in todays time

He outscored him league wise but total goals Ronaldo scored 3 more by playing 700min more.

Peak Ronaldo only lasted 1 full season in Serie A - between 99 and 02 Ronaldo didn't even exist on the football map because he was full time injured - he made less than 25 appearances in 3 years (99/00 - 8 apperances 390min, 00/01 - 0, 01/02 - 16 appearances 859min played - total minutes played 1249 = less than 14 games )

 

[EtH]

Pre-injury Ronaldo was levels above Cristiano.

 

[dinostar77]

A Ronaldo with knees is in there with Messi and Maradona. Cronaldo could never ever be in that company. The natural gifts simply are not there.

Career portfolio is different though, and sure Cronaldo had more cumulative days of glamour and champagne than Ronaldo or Maradona. And if you think the value of a player should be judged on the number of chest jutting celebrations then have at it. Me, however thinks the best player is the one who is the best at football, and that will always be Ronaldo. Cronaldo is a hugely impressive footballer but he was never unbelievable to me - Ronaldo was.

Good post

 

[Ladron de redcafe]

A Ronaldo with knees is in there with Messi and Maradona. Cronaldo could never ever be in that company. The natural gifts simply are not there.

Career portfolio is different though, and sure Cronaldo had more cumulative days of glamour and champagne than Ronaldo or Maradona. And if you think the value of a player should be judged on the number of chest jutting celebrations then have at it. Me, however thinks the best player is the one who is the best at football, and that will always be Ronaldo. Cronaldo is a hugely impressive footballer but he was never unbelievable to me - Ronaldo was.

Yeah it's a shame his peak didn't last due to his injury problems. He would have been in their with a legitimate claim for the greatest ever.but as it is, he's in the second tier below.

Still, for the reasons you mentioned, a lot of people rank him ahead of Portugese Ronaldo and the other players in that tier.

 

[The Urban Goose]

A Ronaldo with knees is in there with Messi and Maradona. Cronaldo could never ever be in that company. The natural gifts simply are not there.

Career portfolio is different though, and sure Cronaldo had more cumulative days of glamour and champagne than Ronaldo or Maradona. And if you think the value of a player should be judged on the number of chest jutting celebrations then have at it. Me, however thinks the best player is the one who is the best at football, and that will always be Ronaldo. Cronaldo is a hugely impressive footballer but he was never unbelievable to me - Ronaldo was.

Well said. R9 with knees was Pele regen.

Anyone who thinks peak Cristiano is fit to lace peak R9's boots should watch this - "The Story of Ronaldo":

 

[RedRonaldo]

He outscored him league wise but total goals Ronaldo scored 3 more by playing 700min more.

Peak Ronaldo only lasted 1 full season in Serie A - between 99 and 02 Ronaldo didn't even exist on the football map because he was full time injured - he made less than 25 appearances in 3 years (99/00 - 8 apperances 390min, 00/01 - 0, 01/02 - 16 appearances 859min played - total minutes played 1249 = less than 14 games )

We are talking about peak Ronaldo9 in his full Serie A season though, not counting his injured period.

He was actually very good, scored 25 goals in 32 Serie A games in his first season there, and total 34 goals in 47 games including cup games. In terms of league goals, Bierhoff did outscore him with 27 goals in 32 games that season. Overall he has 31 goals in 39 games that season, which is little less than Ronaldo9, but he also played less.

If theoretically speaking that version Ronaldo9 could score 50-60 goals in todays game, so could Bierhoff.

 

[Andycoleno9]

To those saying Ronaldo Brazil had a better peak, what is that peak and did you guys watch him day in day out during those days?

ill be honest. I watched fat Ronaldo as a kid from 2002. I’ve only retroactively tried to see what his peak in the late 90s was about but it’s never the same as being there.

So for me it’s Cristiano. I suspect most of us in our early to late 30s have similar sentiments

I watched him from day one. Only Messi at his peak was unstoppable like R9 was. Only 2 players who could alone attack full defence and cause havoc.
As i pointed out earlier; read and watch what players who played against/with him said about him. That says something

 

[Partridge]

This thread reminds me of the great 'starburst/opelfruit debate that took place back in the day. Pointless.

 

[giorno]

We are talking about peak Ronaldo9 in his full Serie A season though, not counting his injured period.

He was actually very good, scored 25 goals in 32 Serie A games in his first season there, and total 34 goals in 47 games including cup games. In terms of league goals, Bierhoff did outscore him with 27 goals in 32 games that season. Overall he has 31 goals in 39 games that season, which is little less than Ronaldo9, but he also played less.

If theoretically speaking that version Ronaldo9 could score 50-60 goals in todays game, so could Bierhoff.

I mean yeah, Bierhoff was one of the most dominant strikers in history in the air and one of the best strikers of his time.

Though that point denotes a singular misunderstanding of Ronaldo, Bierhoff, and the 97/98 Serie A season in general

Cristiano was outscored by Anelka and Higuain in consecutive seasons, too

 

[RedRonaldo]

I mean yeah, Bierhoff was one of the most dominant strikers in history in the air and one of the best strikers of his time.

Though that point denotes a singular misunderstanding of Ronaldo, Bierhoff, and the 97/98 Serie A season in general

Cristiano was outscored by Anelka and Higuain in consecutive seasons, too

Are we still comparing their peak or what? I never knew Anelka and Higuain has outscored Ronaldo during those 50-60 goals seasons.

And because R9 during his first season at Serie A is absolutely at his peak (his career 2nd best season) too, hence the comparison. And to be fair it was Bierhoff peak season too. But even so, the so called one of the best strikers of his time, has many average seasons with 15 goals or less.

 

[cyberman]

Brazilian Ronaldo's peak club goal tally was 47. C Ronaldo's was 61. He beat B. Ronaldo's best in six different seasons.

Even leaving aside longevity (which obviously wins this discussion for Cristiano right off the bat) you'd have a hard time seriously arguing that Brazilian Ronaldo's best season was better than every one of the six seasons Cristiano scored more than him.

Another stat is Cristiano has almost scored as many goals as Brazilian Ronaldo had in his entire career since turning 30 alone.
It’s weird saying Brazilian Ronaldo was better because he was almost unstoppable when Cristiano was literally unstoppable. The man had almost 2 goal contributions a game in his best Madrid season for feck sake!

 

[Gio]

We are talking about peak Ronaldo9 in his full Serie A season though, not counting his injured period.

He was actually very good, scored 25 goals in 32 Serie A games in his first season there, and total 34 goals in 47 games including cup games. In terms of league goals, Bierhoff did outscore him with 27 goals in 32 games that season. Overall he has 31 goals in 39 games that season, which is little less than Ronaldo9, but he also played less.

If theoretically speaking that version Ronaldo9 could score 50-60 goals in todays game, so could Bierhoff.

About half of Bierhoff’s goals came through crosses and headers. Udinese were a decent side but their game plan was fairly rudimental - get the ball into the box for Bierhoff to attack. Now most elite sides won’t play that way which is why he couldn’t quite replicate those figures at Milan. But let’s say today he moved to a side that pumps lots of high-quality crosses into the box, say Liverpool. It stands to reason that if you swap his Udinese side that scored 62 goals to a Liverpool that score 94 a season, he will get many more chances to use his incredible aerial ability. And, in the ruthless form he was in that season, he’s likely to score more goals with more service.

 

[cafecillos]

The man had almost 3 goal contributions a game in his best Madrid season for feck sake!

Can you link the stats on this?

 

[Rolaholic]

R9 is the greatest pure striker the game has ever seen, had absolutely everything in his locker at a world class level.

CR7 is one of the greatest goalscorers ever but in a vacuum, and all things considered with everyone being healthy, there's not another footballer dead or alive that I'd want to start a team with than El Fenomeno

 

[BootsyCollins]

For the Norwegians and Swedes (and maybe danes) here, Erik Niva did a brilliant piece on Ronaldo with his WWWK podcast recently.
He talks about were he has him in the all-time rank at the end, but i wont spoiler it.

Here is the pod for those who wants to listen :

 

[Luka Mora]

Anything fake ronaldo could do, R9 could do and more ten times better. insane strength, mbappe level speed, the skill and flair of ronaldinho, playmaking, ball control, decision making of zidane and finishing which rivalled that of Haaland

When he broke through at Ajax and arrived at Barcelona he was a complete freak, no one could get near him or stop in. Fake ronaldo was never a patch on the real ronaldo at any point in his career

 

[cyberman]

Can you link the stats on this?

Sorry it was 2, don’t know why I typed 3. I’ll edit it now
Edit it was because I was posting about goals past 30 and 3 got stuck in my head, I think

 

[alexo1505]

R9 is my favourite player ever and I really despise Ronaldo, I think R9s peak was higher but it lasted like two years... you have to consider longetivity when you talk about best players especially when there is such a gap between them.. Now Im not saying CR7 is a better player but I dont mind him being put above Ronaldo, Ronaldo had phenomenal seasons in holland and and one in barca, then he got injured, never even won league title with inter during his peak.. was lucky to come back and win WC in 2002, after that he wasnt that good.

 

[Spoony]

Proper Ronaldo was a freak of nature. The comparisons always made me chuckle. I put it down to the age of fans.

 

[mshnsh]

R9 was a better footballer at his best than Cristiano ever was. He was more explosive, better technically, and at dribbling. But his most impressive performances were with Brazil not at club level just like Neymar. If you watched him at Barcelona or (and even more) Inter, while he had amazing stats and was very good, he drifted in and out alot. In that respect he is a tad overrated probably due to nostalgia and the "what could have been" scenario.

Ronaldo has had a better club career though with success and longevity.

 

[Brwned]

Without a doubt but I think one thing that works against r9 here is that his peak performances didn't really achieve much to elevate/immortalize his legacy for example maradona won his country the world cup and got Napoli their only 2 league titles and a European title on to, Messi got 2 trebles and a double and it's the same with Ronaldo.

That damages him a bit I think although it wasn't something he could control as it's a team game after all.

Yeah, I mean you can’t really mention the lack of success at his peak without adding the context. In 97-98 he finished 5 points behind Juve and was frequently compared to Del Piero as the two best attackers in the league, and arguably the world. Del Piero had Deschamps, Davids, Conte and Zidane behind him, Ronaldo had Ze Elias, Winter, Simeone and Djorkaeff behind him. That’s a huge gap. Cristiano only ever had a similar situation at the beginning and end of his career, and he was similarly unsuccessful. I don’t think there’s much evidence to suggest he could turn a functional team into a successful team when up against a team of superstars.

 

[mshnsh]

Anything fake ronaldo could do, R9 could do and more ten times better. insane strength, mbappe level speed, the skill and flair of ronaldinho, playmaking, ball control, decision making of zidane and finishing which rivalled that of Haaland



When he broke through at Ajax and arrived at Barcelona he was a complete freak, no one could get near him or stop in. Fake ronaldo was never a patch on the real ronaldo at any point in his career

No. While Luis Ronaldo was easily the better footballer preinjury, you are exaggerating his attributes or just trolling.

Plus he played for PSV not Ajax.

 

[IhabX7]

Cristiano clear. Don't let this rewriting of history get to you. What Cristiano has done in football has only been done by Messi. So you can have the debate about who's number 1 or 2, but comparing them to other players in the last thirty years, is nostalgia driven bollocks.
Zidane, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Baggio and others are as talented, some more than Cristiano, but he delivered the goods far, far more consistently than any of them ever came close to doing, all while being one of the greatest entertainers the game has ever seen.

 

[abundance]

To those saying Ronaldo Brazil had a better peak, what is that peak and did you guys watch him day in day out during those days?

ill be honest. I watched fat Ronaldo as a kid from 2002. I’ve only retroactively tried to see what his peak in the late 90s was about but it’s never the same as being there.

So for me it’s Cristiano. I suspect most of us in our early to late 30s have similar sentiments

Most of us in our 40s agree wholeheartedly: you could only prefer Cristiano if you didn't see Luis Nazario.

 

[GifLord]

We are talking about peak Ronaldo9 in his full Serie A season though, not counting his injured period.

He was actually very good, scored 25 goals in 32 Serie A games in his first season there, and total 34 goals in 47 games including cup games. In terms of league goals, Bierhoff did outscore him with 27 goals in 32 games that season. Overall he has 31 goals in 39 games that season, which is little less than Ronaldo9, but he also played less.

If theoretically speaking that version Ronaldo9 could score 50-60 goals in todays game, so could Bierhoff.

That's like saying Luca Toni could score 30+ goals based on 1 freak season he had . Bierhoff managed 20+ goals 1 time in his career playing in a top league - did it once before in Austrian league when he was in his early 20s.

 

[giorno]

Are we still comparing their peak or what? I never knew Anelka and Higuain has outscored Ronaldo during those 50-60 goals seasons.

And because R9 during his first season at Serie A is absolutely at his peak (his career 2nd best season) too, hence the comparison. And to be fair it was Bierhoff peak season too. But even so, the so called one of the best strikers of his time, has many average seasons with 15 goals or less.

We never saw Ronaldo's peak, that's the thing. What we call his peak was him at age 20-21, because due to injury that's the best he's ever had the chance to be

If we're comparing 96-98 Ronaldo with 2011-2015 Cristiano, i'd say it's close, but Ronnie had a terror factor to him Cristiano didn't have. Cristiano was however maybe better for a great team, whereas Ronaldo was the team

 

[phelans shorts]

It’s Luis Nazario Ronaldo hands down. The only thing in Cristiano’s favour is not getting injured.

The most important factor in these discussions should always be who was so good they’d convince you to buy a ticket, and it’s the Brazilian. He did some ludicrous things.

 

[Red the Bear]

Reaching 2 WC finals and carrying at age 21 isn’t an achievement? Its the same as Maradona

He wasn't their best player in that tournament, rivaldo was.

Yeah, I mean you can’t really mention the lack of success at his peak without adding the context. In 97-98 he finished 5 points behind Juve and was frequently compared to Del Piero as the two best attackers in the league, and arguably the world. Del Piero had Deschamps, Davids, Conte and Zidane behind him, Ronaldo had Ze Elias, Winter, Simeone and Djorkaeff behind him. That’s a huge gap. Cristiano only ever had a similar situation at the beginning and end of his career, and he was similarly unsuccessful. I don’t think there’s much evidence to suggest he could turn a functional team into a successful team when up against a team of superstars.

Definitely that's why i said it was out of his control.

 

[Luka Mora]

No. While Luis Ronaldo was easily the better footballer preinjury, you are exaggerating his attributes or just trolling.

Plus he played for PSV not Ajax.

You know who I meant and no I haven't exaggerated anything. At PSV and Barca there was no player in world football like him. He was a freak, there was nothing he couldn't do with the ball that any player in history has been able to do. He was as fast if not faster than Mbappe, had human strength like a Bull, had the skillset of ronaldinho and could see patterns of play before they happened to play others through as if he was Zidane

To compare a singled minded goal machine in CR7 who struggled to dribble past players in his prime, who wasn't known for speed, but rather being a glorified lewandowski to the Real Ronaldo who had everything in his game is insulting to anyone who knows and understands the game

 

[mshnsh]

You know who I meant and no I haven't exaggerated anything. At PSV and Barca there was no player in world football like him. He was a freak, there was nothing he couldn't do with the ball that any player in history has been able to do. He was as fast if not faster than Mbappe, had human strength like a Bull, had the skillset of ronaldinho and could see patterns of play before they happened to play others through as if he was Zidane







To compare a singled minded goal machine in CR7 who struggled to dribble past players in his prime, who wasn't known for speed, but rather being a glorified lewandowski to the Real Ronaldo who had everything in his game is insulting to anyone who knows and understands the game

Now you are both exaggerating Brazilian Ronaldo's game and completely disrespecting Cristiano. Yes the Brazilian was the better footballer before his knees gave away but Cristiano has achieved alot and has been one of the best for 15 years.



For me Ronaldo's game was about explosive pace, excellent technique, wonderful dribbling and an eye for goal. In essence the perfect no. 9. Cristiano on the other hand was more about athleticism, goalscoring, determination and movement of the ball not to say he had bad technique (very good but not Ronaldo level), or that he was slow (ofcourse he was fast but not as explosive with the ball), or that he was a bad dribbler (at his peak he was a decent dribbler but not elite).

 

[Kablamo]

Romanticised nonsense. That's all the R9 fanfare is.

This thread is full of men in their mid to late thirties, harking back to a time when they were pre-pubescent boys who fell in love with a footballer and reached their sexual maturity with him. They shared his journey, they saved his Nike Airport video onto their C: Drive, or a 3.5 inch disc if they had WinZip. They won't hear or see any argument against him because no other footballer makes them feel that way.

I saw the same types trying to sneak him into the Top 5 of All Time list. That is absolute madness and nothing to do with footballing ability or achievement. This is all because their bodies ache for him. They yearn for those times again, and for the way he touched them through their adolescent years.

In terms of 90's Serie A forwads, I'm taking Batistuta every day of the week.

And forget what Ronaldo did at Barcelona, I remember Baltazar and Toni Polster going to La Liga and rattling them in for fun.

Cristiano Ronaldo is on a different level to the Brazilian one.

 

[Matt007a]

Bit harsh to say Bierhoff outscored R9 and use that against him. Look at the performances of the two and it’s night and day. R9 could pick up the ball in a nothing area on the half way line, beat 3 people, round the keeper and score. Bierhoff couldn’t do anything of the sort. R9 would commit an entire defence which opened things up for others, in the same way Messi has done for many years.

We never saw R9 at his peak. Imagine if Messi was ruined by the 2010 season due to injury, what we would have missed. A 26 year old prime R9 is a scary thought but in truth it was never on the cards. He was so explosive and so agile for his frame he was always going to break down at some point. Knees can’t take the kind of strain he put through them, no matter who you are.

 

[AndySmith1990]

I preferred original Ronaldo, at his best he was phenomenal. But when you judge careers there's no contest really

 

[Kulspruta]

Some people really like statistics more than watching football it seems. Ronaldo would leave everyone dumbstruck and do the impossible on the pitch. Its absolutely impossible to watch both players actually playing football and still say Cristiano is better.

 

[Luka Mora]

Now you are both exaggerating Brazilian Ronaldo's game and completely disrespecting Cristiano. Yes the Brazilian was the better footballer before his knees gave away but Cristiano has achieved alot and has been one of the best for 15 years.



For me Ronaldo's game was about explosive pace, excellent technique, wonderful dribbling and an eye for goal. In essence the perfect no. 9. Cristiano on the other hand was more about athleticism, goalscoring, determination and movement of the ball not to say he had bad technique (very good but not Ronaldo level), or that he was slow (ofcourse he was fast but not as explosive with the ball), or that he was a bad dribbler (at his peak he was a decent dribbler but not elite).

Disrespecting Ronaldo, no just putting attributes and traits that he had missing into perspective. In terms of achievements obviously fake ronaldo will have got more due to longevity even though what R9 accomplished for his country post injury supersedes anything Fake ronaldo did for his country, and pound 4 pound attribute wise he was several levels below Real Ronaldo

Real ronaldo was not just pace, technique and dribbling. He would do things every game producing magic you'd never seen before. He was a player you'd drop everything you were doing to go just to see a glimpse of him in live action The entire world cup of 1998 was in anticipation of watching R9 regardless where you came from. The precision and close ball control was unparalleled along with his freakish, speed and strength, players will try to hold him down but he'd mow them all down like a tractor

You never got that feeling with CR7 except when he was the young tricky winger at United. When he changed his game he simply became a monstrous clinical goal machine, which mainly consisted of free kicks, headers, penalties and knuckle shots. It did not feature great magic on the ball or great playmaking or great link up play, just pure determination to stat pad and break records rather than experience the joy of playing the game. Which is why I and many others will not even have him amongst the true greats of the game, his football was cynical and soulless