Question of the Week: Cristiano Ronaldo - All-Time Great?

[Mandieta6]

Remember, if you have an idea for a question you would like to see, PM it to me, and each week one question will be selected based on the quality of the question and it's subject. I will not choose the questions on my own, but this is the best way to ensure that we don't keep discussing the same things.

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This week's comes courtesy of Draft Champion:

With all the talk of Messi's accomplishments and his battle to become the greatest of all time - where does his rival C. Ronaldo rank in the all time greatest list?

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23/1 - Who is Portugal's Revelation Player for 2011?
3/2 - Should the Old Firm compete in the English leagues?
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24/2 - Who are the German league's best players?
6/3 - Which players messed up their careers by switching clubs?
13/3 - What is the most shocking transfer of all-time?
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10/6 - The 2016 Euro Expansion
12/7 - Best Goal Ever?
3/8 - World Cup vs. Champions League Discussion
13/8 - Yugoslavia
19/8 - Confederations Cup
25/8 - Standarized Pitch Sizes
27/8 - What Transfers Would you Like to See?
3/9 - Most Interesting Team of the New Season
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18/9 - The Perfect Footballer
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10/10 - Best Goalkeeper Ever
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19/11 - Who Carries his Team the Furthest?
27/11 - Who is Exceeding Expectations?
4/12 - Who is Performing Below Expectations?
10/12 - How Young is Too Young?

 

[kp41]

of course ...

 

[Mandieta6]

You should read the actual question.

 

[Mus]

As a goalscorer, probably at least top 15 - also factor in the point that he is the most expensive player ever

 

[Pogba4Now]

Top 10.

 

[Arnau]

As goal scorer top3

 

[AndreaPirlo21]

As a goalscoring attacker - top 8. Tons of shots but not many goals.... that is keeping him from contention with the best.

 

[poet11]

Absolutely!!! Once he ran from one end of the field to the other without the ball at great speed-football genius! He has this amazing unreal skill of manufacturing shots at an amazing rate with a lot of power and scores sometimes in almost every game. Truly amazing and gifted footballer.

 

[Arnau]

The fact he score so many goals playing as winger is awesome

 

[yoyo913]

Not just goal scorer, the question is about overall.

I say top 10.

 

[AndreaPirlo21]

Not just goal scorer, the question is about overall.

I say top 10.

Overall: top 15

 

[ShiftyPowers]

I mean it depends on what you mean by all time greats. I would say he's already there. He has won every trophy with a club. Shame for him about Greece in 2004.

I think footballpantheon.com is a decent start to see where he fits. You look at the players at the end of the 100 and they are still all time greats (Fontaine, Masopust, Rep, Desailly).

I'll just start going down names:

65 Baggio - his numbers are better than Baggio, but this is the first name that gave me slight pause. Yeah, he's better though

45 Bobby Charlton - Another winger, won everything Ronaldo did plus the world cup.

39 Ronaldinho, 37 Romario - I'd say he's in this range; somewhere between Charlton and these two Brazilians. But then you look at some of the higher names and he's better, like: 34 Hristo Stoichkov, 29 Tostao.

But I don't think he can claim to be top 25 yet, and maybe if he is he is #25; that's when it goes: Rivaldo, van Basten, Jairzinho, Xavi, Hidegkuti.

Perhaps you guys disagree.

 

[Arnau]

Bobby Charlton was not winger

 

[Sir Calumn]

C Ronaldo would be in my all time "2nd Eleven"

Messi would be in my first eleven

 

[Alex]

Bobby Charlton was not winger

He was an attacking midfielder, and started out as an inside left - which is a mixture between modern day left wing and modern day number 10 I guess.

So the comparison still stands I think.

 

[Alex]

C Ronaldo would be in my all time "2nd Eleven"

Messi would be in my first eleven

Ronaldo would possibly be easier to get into such a side, as where Messi plays I think there has been more greats. Pele and Maradona for a start.

 

[Sir Calumn]

That's where Messi plays now, he could easily play a bit deeper and fit in behind those two. Of course, then you might be leaving out Cruyff or Van Basten...

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Messi started out on the wing. He was a better winger than Ronaldo.

 

[Alex]

That's where Messi plays now, he could easily play a bit deeper and fit in behind those two. Of course, then you might be leaving out Cruyff or Van Basten...

Messi playing slightly deeper is a very similar role to where I'd expect Maradona to play. Though Pele at 9 with Messi and Diego tucked in behind him would probably work

 

[Alex]

Messi started out on the wing. He was a better winger than Ronaldo.

He played wider, I wouldn't call it a wing though. He played almost as a traditional inside forward. Behind the striker, off to the side.

I see a winger more as someone who hugs the touch line, but then can cut in closer to the box. This is what Ronaldo has done for big parts of his career.