Manchester United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Brazil great Ronaldo was better than Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
From Madrid to Barcelona to Inter, Ronaldo won numerous club trophies to go with two World Cups and two Copa America titles.
He was also a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, while he scored an incredible 62 goals in 98 international games.
Ibrahimovic believes the 40-year-old deserves to be remembered as a better player than Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I think Ronaldo, Il Fenomeno, was the best,” he told ESPN Brasil.
“He was an example of what football is. Everything he did was like ‘wow’. The way he dribbled, the way he ran.
“He was not made. Ronaldo was natural. He was born to be what he was. It was not something he trained to become.”
The Swede, who also praised former team-mate Ronaldinho, said Cristiano Ronaldo lacked the same naturalness.
“It is different because he is the result of hard training. It is not natural,” Ibrahimovic said.
Meanwhile, World player of the year, Cristiano Ronaldo, has rejected a world record £257 million (300m euros, $317m) bid from China, his agent, Jorge Mendes, has claimed.
Mendes told Sky Sports Italia on Thursday that the unnamed Chinese Super League side had offered the 31-year-old Portuguese superstar a record £85 million a year as salary.
“From China, they’ve offered 300m euros to Real Madrid and more than 100m (euros) per year to the player,” said Mendes.
“But money is not everything. Real Madrid is his life. Cristiano is happy at Real Madrid and it is impossible to go to China.”
China has through its Super League clubs flexed considerable financial muscle in the international transfer market, most recently buying Brazilian international Oscar from Chelsea and Argentinian veteran Carlos Tevez — with the latter reportedly set to earn 38m euros a year.
However, Mendes said that the star of his stable was out of reach.
“The Chinese market is a new market,” said Mendes.
“They can buy a lot of players, but then again it is impossible to go for Ronaldo.
“Cristiano is the best player in the world and best ever. It is normal to have some offers.
“He won the European Championship with Portugal, it’s like winning the Italian league with Genoa: they were not the favourite,” added the 50-year-old Portugues.
