On Eve of His 40th Birthday, Ronaldo Says He Is the Best Football Player Ever

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B - Al-Nassr v Al-Wasl - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - February 3, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B - Al-Nassr v Al-Wasl - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - February 3, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
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On Eve of His 40th Birthday, Ronaldo Says He Is the Best Football Player Ever

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B - Al-Nassr v Al-Wasl - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - February 3, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B - Al-Nassr v Al-Wasl - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - February 3, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo approaches his 40th birthday with the same confidence and self-esteem as he has always boasted throughout his successful career.

Ronaldo, the former Real Madrid star who now plays in Saudi Arabia, will turn 40 on Wednesday and apparently has no doubt about who should be considered the best football player ever.

“I am the greatest scorer in history," Ronaldo said in an interview with Spanish television channel La Sexta. "Although I am not left-footed, I am in the top 10 in history for goals scored with the left foot. These are numbers, I am the most complete player who has ever existed.

"I play well with my head, I take good free kicks, I am fast, I am strong, I jump... I have never seen anyone better than me.”

The Portugal star holds most scoring records in men's international football, including most appearances with 217 and most goals with 135.

He had said it before, more than once, that he feels he will go out as the best ever in the history of football. Whenever he was asked about the discussion of who is better, him or Lionel Messi, he always praised the Argentine but ended siding with himself.



F1 Seeks to Spice up Monaco GP with More Mandatory Pitstops

Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
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F1 Seeks to Spice up Monaco GP with More Mandatory Pitstops

Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)

Formula One's governing body is planning to spice up the showcase Monaco Grand Prix by forcing teams to carry out more pitstops.

The FIA said in a statement that an F1 commission meeting in London on Tuesday had discussed "proposals for Monaco-specific regulations" to promote less processional racing at the tight and twisty circuit.

"The commission agreed to increase the numbers of mandatory pitstops in the race," it added, without providing further details.

"These proposals will be further discussed by the sporting advisory committee in the coming weeks."

The current mandatory minimum is one pitstop per race.

Overtaking is extremely difficult around Monaco, with qualifying and pole position a much more crucial element than at other races.

The FIA said there would also no longer be any restriction on the number of gearboxes teams could use during a season as the reliability of current designs had rendered the regulation obsolete.