Unlike most people, I’m not going to be revisionist about Cristiano Ronaldo’s career.
Up until around 33–34, before he fully transitioned into a more traditional Center Forward, there wasn’t a player in world football who combined speed, dribbling, finishing, and complete dominance across all areas of the final third the way he did. Left, right, centrally, in transition or against set defenses, Ronaldo had both the tools and the effectiveness.
And for me, a career up to 34 playing at that level is more than enough of a sample size to define a player at their truest level.
For context, Ronaldinho was largely done by 30. Marco van Basten by 28. Diego Maradona declined in his mid-30s. Johan Cruyff in his late 30s. Di Asa Ronaldo was done by 34.
So the fact that Ronaldo not only sustained elite output up to that point, but then reinvented his entire game and continued dominating with a completely different approach after 34 is something we’ve never really seen before.
For me, that combination of peak completeness and post-peak adaptation is enough to call him the GOAT. Forever.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 2010/11 🐐
Before the Ballon d'Ors and UCL titles.