Ronaldo Nazario often seems to be overlooked in the debate about the greatest players in the game's history, but it has now been claimed the Brazil legend was a better footballer than both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The retired 43-year-old was one of the best players of his generation in his prime, but injuries prevented him from an even longer stay at the pinnacle of the game.
His former teammate Roberto Carlos, who played alongside the striker at Real Madrid and with the Brazil national team, has now insisted it was harder for "O Fenomeno" ("The Phenomenon") to do what he did on the pitch back then than it is for the current superstars of today.
"Ronaldo was the best. Neither Messi, nor Cristiano, nor Neymar," Carlos told Goal.
"There will never be another 'Fenomeno'.
"I think that in our generation, it was more difficult to score goals.
"It was more physical then and the attackers were less protected, yet Ronaldo could do of everything."
Carlos also revealed that Ronaldo surprised many at Los Blancos when he arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2002.
"I knew how incredible he was when he arrived at Real Madrid, but many people at the club did not," he added.
"He surprised many people. I remember that 80 000 people (at the Bernabeu) were very happy and pleasantly surprised with him."
Ronaldo won two FIFA World Cups and two Copa Americas with Brazil, but never managed to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy despite collecting various other titles at club level.
