OMM Newsroom
Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand said he considers Cristiano Ronaldo the greatest footballer in Portugal’s history.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand said Ronaldo’s impact on Portuguese and world football was invaluable. The forward, he said, has brought joy to people around the world and lifted their spirits during difficult times.
Among Ronaldo’s performances for Portugal, Ferdinand said the most memorable was the expectation he inspired across an entire nation. He said Ronaldo instilled belief in the national team’s success in a country that had not previously considered itself among the favourites to win tournaments.
Ferdinand also recalled Ronaldo scoring a hat-trick against Sweden to send his team through to a tournament. He said he was not Portuguese at the time but considered the achievement remarkable.
He said Ronaldo had achieved his goal of becoming one of the five best players in football history. Whether Ronaldo ranks first, second or third does not matter to Ferdinand; in his view, he is among the greatest players of all time.
On November 5, the 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward announced he was ending his career with Portugal’s national team.
