Jose Mourinho Names The Best Player Of All Time - It's Not Cristiano Ronaldo Or Lionel Messi

Jose Mourinho has snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the question of who is the 'GOAT' and instead picked former Brazil striker Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima.

The question of who is the greatest footballer of all time often crops up and to many the answer is either of the five time Ballon d'Or winners Ronaldo or Messi but not for Mourinho.

The former Real Madrid manager was asked by LiveScore who the best player ever was and revealed it was Ronaldo Nazario, who he worked with at Barcelona, saying, "Ronaldo, El Fenomeno. Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had longer careers, they have remained at the top every day for 15 years.

"However, if we are talking strictly about talent and skill, nobody surpasses Ronaldo [Nazario]. When he was at Barcelona with Bobby Robson, I realised that he was the best player I'd ever seen take to the field.

"Injuries killed a career that could have been even more incredible, but the talent that that 19-year-old boy had was something incredible."

Ronaldo only played one season for Barcelona in 1996/97, having previously played two years for PSV, and scored an incredible 34 goals in 37 games.

Having broken the world record fee, with a transfer fee of £13.2 million, Barca sold him a year later when contract negotiations broke down for another world record fee of £19.5 million to Inter.

By 1997 and the age of just 21 the Brazilian had won the FIFA World Player of the Year award twice and would go on to win it a third time in 2002.

Ronaldo, along with Pele and runner up Roberto Carlos, with his 1997 award. Image: PA Images

Ronaldo won the Golden Ball at the 1998 World Cup but the mystery surrounding his near absence at the final, when he was out of the team and then back in, stole all the headlines as Brazil lost to hosts France.

He then missed a big part of three seasons with several knee injuries for Inter which were the start of the issues that meant he never quite lived up to the potential he had, despite still having an incredible career.

After heartache in 98, Ronaldo was the World Cup winner in 2002. Image: PA Images

The Brazilian went on to score 352 goals in 518 appearances in all competitions in his club career and without injuries it could have been even better.

Of course Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have since taken the game to a whole new level with their goal records but El Fenomeno is still one of the best of all time, certainly Mourinho thinks so.

Topics: Football News, Jose Mourinho, Football, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo

Ryan Sidle

Ryan is a writer for SPORTbible. He covers all sport from football, formula one, cricket, rugby, tennis, athletics, mma and wrestling. He obviously hates YOUR football team and has no interest in synchronised swimming.

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