Cristiano Ronaldo recently declared himself the greatest footballer of all time.

The Portuguese legend has won major titles with Manchester United and Real Madrid, lifted the European Championship with Portugal, and scored 925 goals in his career. Even at 40, he continues to shine for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

However, his claim has sparked a heated debate. Many fans and players have shared their views, with Inter Miami’s Javier Mascherano and Argentina’s Nahuel Molina disagreeing.

Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema even said Ronaldo Nazario is the greatest. Now, the Brazilian icon himself has weighed in.

Speaking to ESPN, Ronaldo Nazario did not hold back. He praised Cristiano Ronaldo’s career but disagreed with his GOAT claim.

“I don’t really like to get into this. I think people have too much self-esteem. I prefer people to talk about what I did and who I was rather than talking about myself,” he said.

The Brazilian legend acknowledged Ronaldo’s achievements but placed him outside the top five.

“Cristiano Ronaldo has a fantastic story. He won everything, scored goals in every possible way. He is definitely among the best in history. Now, I don’t agree with the best. But I respect his opinion... I would say he is easily in the top 10.”

Ronaldo then listed his top players, saying, “Pele is number one without a doubt. Messi and Maradona are tied.