Antonio Cassano claims Cristiano Ronaldo ‘is not even in the top five’ greatest players of all-time

Antonio Cassano claims Cristiano Ronaldo ‘is not even in the top five’ greatest players of all-time in another scathing attack on Manchester United star and Ballon D’Or nominee after the Italian called him ‘selfish’ this year

  • Cristiano Ronaldo was one of 30 footballers shortlisted for the Ballon D’Or prize
  • Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, claimed his client should win this year’s gong 
  • Mendes also described the 36-year-old as the greatest footballer of all-time
  • Ex-Italy star Antonio Cassano claims Ronaldo is not in the top five all-time list
  • Cassano says Lionel Messi, Pele, Johan Cruyff, Ronaldo and Maradona are better


Italian football legend Antonio Cassano claims Cristiano Ronaldo is not even in the top five greatest players of all-time in another scathing attack on the Portuguese star.

Ronaldo was branded as the greatest player ever by his agent Jorge Mendes, after the 36-year-old was included on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon D’Or prize, which the Portuguese icon has won five times before. 

Retired Italy star Cassano, who has been critical of Ronaldo in the past, believes Pele, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff and former Brazil striker Ronaldo Nazario all rank above the Manchester United winger in the history of football’s best.

Cristiano Ronaldo (above) is not in the top five best players of all time, claims Antonio Cassano

Cassano (above) says Lionel Messi, Pele, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and Ronaldo are better

Cassano (above) says Lionel Messi, Pele, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and Ronaldo are better

‘Enough theatre (from Jorge Mendes),’ Cassano told Christian Vieri Twitch channel Bobo TV. ‘Is Cristiano Ronaldo the best in the history of football? He is not even in the top five.

‘Messi, Pele, Maradona, Cruyff and Ronaldo are on another level.’

Manchester United and Portugal star Ronaldo was named on the provisional 30-man shortlist for the Ballon D’Or which will be trimmed down to just three names ahead of the award ceremony on November 29. 

Ronaldo’s long-term rival Lionel Messi is on the list and is the bookies’ favourite to win a seventh Ballon D’Or trophy in his career. UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Jorginho is on the list along with fellow Chelsea team-mate N’Golo Kante. 

Ronaldo was shortlisted for the Ballon D'Or prize, a gong he has won six times in the past

Ronaldo was shortlisted for the Ballon D’Or prize, a gong he has won six times in the past

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski was also shortlisted and is Kevin de Bruyne’s pick to win the award, while former Brazil striker Ronaldo Nazario claims Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema should lift the prize this year. 

Super-agent Mendes, meanwhile, insisted that Ronaldo’s record-breaking year where he became international football’s all-time goalscorer is more than enough to give him the prize  

Mendes said: ‘The figures and statistics linked to the name of Cristiano Ronaldo speak for him and should be enough in my opinion for him to win another Ballon d’Or. 

Jorge Mendes (right) claims Ronaldo would be a worthy winner of the Ballon D'Or this year

Jorge Mendes (right) claims Ronaldo would be a worthy winner of the Ballon D’Or this year

‘The absolutely remarkable total of 115 goals for the Portuguese national team makes him the record holder in the history of men’s international football.

‘This year he broke this 15-year-old record (for most international goals), to which he can add that to being the top scorer in the history of professional football.

‘All these achievements, which represent the greatest performance in football history, should be decisive in the awarding of the trophy, as he continues to demonstrate that he is, without a doubt, the best football player in the world of all time.’

Ronaldo (above) broke the all-time international goalscoring record earlier this year

Ronaldo (above) broke the all-time international goalscoring record earlier this year

Former Juventus and Italy striker Cassano, meanwhile, has been very critical of Ronaldo in the past. The retired 39-year-old blasted the Portuguese forward while he was playing in Turin for being too selfish and not caring about his team-mate. 

‘Cristiano only thinks about his goals and records,’ Cassano said in March of this year. ‘He’s always been a bit selfish, he doesn’t give a damn about others scoring goals.

‘He does not live for the game – he lives for the goal and in this moment the situation is getting worse. I think Cristiano has done terribly over the last three years.’

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