Cristiano Ronaldo boasts he is 'most complete player to have existed' | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo has confidently claimed he is the "most complete" footballer to ever play the game, putting himself above Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and Pele in the never-ending G.O.A.T debate.

Ronaldo is in the 23rd season of a professional career that began in 2002 when he was 17 years of age. With 788 club goals and a men's world record 135 senior internationals goals to his name, he has well exceeded 900 in his career to date.

Although historic tallies are often disputed and Pele and Romario each claimed to scored over 1,000 goals (unofficial goals scored in friendlies and exhibitions ultimately inflated both considerably), Ronaldo is recognised as world football's all-time top goalscorer with 923.

His argument for being the very best is "about numbers" and self-proclaimed completeness, highlighting a more all-round game than his G.O.A.T rivals.

"Who's the best goal scorer in history? It's about numbers. Full stop," Ronaldo told El Chiringuito.

Ronaldo is among the best ever without question / VI-Images/GettyImages

"Who's the player in history who's scored most goals with their head, their left foot, penalties, free kicks? I was looking the other day, and not being left-footed, I'm in the top 10 goal scorers with their left foot in history. And with my head, and with my right foot, and penalties. All of them."

"I'm talking about numbers. I think I'm the most complete player to have existed. In my opinion, I think it's me. I do everything well in football: with my head, free kicks, left foot. I'm fast, I'm strong.

"One thing is taste…if you like Messi, Pele, Maradona, I understand that and I respect that. But saying Ronaldo isn't complete...I'm the most complete. I haven't seen anybody better than me, and I say it from the heart."

Ronaldo took his career to Saudi Arabia at the start of 2023 after his second spell with Manchester United turned sour. Playing in the Saudi Pro League, seen as a lower quality competition than Europe's top leagues, has seen Ronaldo's goal numbers shoot back up to a similar level as his Real Madrid peak, despite closing in on his 40th birthday.