According Jose Mourinho in his list of the greatest footballers in history, Ronaldo Nazario is ranked ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
During Ronaldo’s one season at Barcelona, the Roma manager partnered with him, assisting Sir Bobby Robson’s squad in winning the Copa del Rey, Cup Winners’ Cup, and Supercopa de Espaa.
The Brazilian forward, who was just 19 when he came from PSV Eindhoven, astounded Mourinho by scoring 47 goals in 49 games for the Catalans, winning the Ballon d’Or with a season total he would never better.
According to Mourinho, Nazario is “the best football player I have ever seen on a pitch,” as quoted by LiveScore via Corriere dello Sport.
“I believe that injuries ended a career that had the potential to be even more amazing.
However, the talent this young man possessed was astounding.
Ronaldo’s injuries eventually caught up with him despite his reputation as a wealthy party animal.
Before he was acquired by Inter Milan in two back-to-back world record transfers, knee issues first surfaced in the Netherlands.
He suffered a serious knee ligament rupture in his third season with the Italian club, thus ending his playing career.
Ronaldo went from a quick dribbler to a lethal poacher and signed for Real Madrid, where he won his second Ballon d’Or, after rebounding to lead Brazil to the 2002 World Cup.
Despite the fact that the striker lacked Messi and Ronaldo’s longevity, Mourinho thinks he had a higher innate potential.
“Not with a career like Cristiano or Messi, 15 years at the top – every day,” the 59-year-old continued.
But such an incredible natural gift.
