Former AC Milan and Roma star, Cafu, has slammed Cristiano Ronaldo for claiming he is the best player of all-time, naming five players who the Brazilian thinks are better than the Portuguese icon.
Who Does Cafu Think Is The Best Player Of All-Time?
The Brazilian is widely regarded as the best right back of all-time, playing a vital role in Brazil’s 1994 and 2002 World Cup triumphs, while also being the only player to appear in three WC finals.
Having two World Cups to his name puts Cafu in an elite list of players and his club accolades only strengthen his position, winning the Champions League and Serie A title with AC Milan.
Cafu’s spell in Italy also saw him win another Scudetto, winning the trophy for the first time with Roma in 2000/01, as the Brazilian made 218 appearances in Rome.
The Brazilian legend enjoyed an illustrious career, playing with star names like Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and even Francesco Totti, whose son recently retired from soccer at 19-years-old.
Having this luxury means that when Cafu picks his best players of all-time, you listen. Which is why fans were surprised to see that the Brazilian does not believe Cristiano Ronaldo is in the top five to ever play the sport.
Cafu said: “Cristiano is a phenomenon, but the best player of all time? No. Cristiano Ronaldo was the best for six or seven years, but in a debate about the greatest of all time, we have to consider players who were better than him.
“If we’re talking about all-time, we must mention players like Diego Maradona, Pele, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer, and Garrincha. We’re talking about incredible players.
“I’ve played against so many amazing players. I’ve played against Maradona. Also Zinedine Zidane and of course Thierry Henry.”
Did Cafu Play Against Cristiano Ronaldo?
Leaving Cristiano Ronaldo out of your top five players of all-time list is certainly a bold choice from Cafu, with many regarding the Portuguese superstar as the best to ever do it.
However, the Brazilian’s experience against CR7 does highlight why he exclude Ronaldo from the list, as Cafu boasts a stellar record against the former Manchester United star.
During Cafu’s career, he faced Ronaldo on three separate occasions and picked up the victory each time – even keeping a clean sheet in every battle against the soccer icon.
The two first quarter off in the 2004/05 Champions League Ro16, as AC Milan beat Manchester United 2-0 on aggregate, winning 1-0 at the San Siro and doing so again at Old Trafford.
Two seasons later, Ronaldo and Cafu would go head-to-head for the third and final time, as AC Milan beat the Red Devils 3-0 in the Champions League semi-final.
Amazingly, Cristiano Ronaldo is still competing despite facing Cafu over two decades ago and the Portuguese star is set to compete at the 2026 World Cup.
Portugal clinched the Nations League trophy back in June and are one of the favorites to win soccer’s biggest prize on new betting sites, a trophy that CR7 has never lifted.
