Ronaldo: Winning the World Cup does not determine my value and I am the best player sports

Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo downplayed the importance of winning the World Cup title, considering it not a fair criterion to determine his value as a player, hinting that he is the best player and will retire from football soon.

Ronaldo did not stop winning titles in his career, whether with the clubs he played for (such as Sporting Lisbon, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Juventus) or with the Portuguese national team, but the World Cup is still missing from his coffers.

“The Don” said in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, “The World Cup is not a dream for me. Winning a competition that extends for 6 or 7 matches cannot determine my value as a player and make me one of the best players in history. Do you think this is fair?”

I am the best

Ronaldo confirmed in the interview that he does not agree with English star Wayne Rooney, who said that Messi is better than him and that he is the best player in the world, adding, “I will not be humble about this topic.”

Rooney, who played alongside Ronaldo, chose his traditional rival, “The Flea,” when he was asked to identify “the best in history,” which the Portuguese Don did not like.

He added, “For me, Messi has an extra artistic touch, that creativity that I love in a player and that is why I chose him.”

Ronaldo has always considered himself the best historically in the game, as “The Don” is armed with a terrifying scoring record, as he reached 952 goals in his professional career, which makes him close to a thousand goals.

Some observers considered that the Portuguese’s tone in the video was a mixture of self-confidence and explicit rejection of the idea that Messi was superior to him, while others believed that Ronaldo, despite his advanced age, still maintains his position as one of the greatest players to ever touch the ball.

Cristiano Ronaldo tells Piers Morgan he thinks he will retire ‘soon’ – but ‘nothing’ will compare in his life to football.

“It will be tough… probably I will cry… but I’ve prepared my future since 27 years old.”

📺 https://t.co/tL9iaAjKDq@piersmorgan | @cristiano pic.twitter.com/ugyArQp8s3

— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) November 4, 2025

Ronaldo reveals his retirement date

Regarding the date of his retirement from football, Ronaldo said, “I have not set a date for my retirement, but it will be soon. I will be ready for this moment without a doubt. Without a doubt, I will cry. I am honest, I will cry because it is very difficult.”

He added, “I would have become an Arsenal player. Yes, that would have happened, and I sat with Arsene Wenger, of course, as everyone said. I don’t think my story would have changed if I had gone to Arsenal instead of Manchester United. They are still two great clubs that have won titles and are capable of winning the English Premier League this season.”

Regarding Manchester United’s recent crises and the decline in its results, he said, “It pains me to see one of the biggest clubs in the world, which still has a place in my heart, in this situation today.”

He added, “In my opinion, Manchester United currently does not have a plan and the club needs change. Amorim is doing his best work, but there are matters outside the scope of the players, and the coach cannot perform a miracle alone.”

He continued, “Manchester United will not win the English Premier League title this season, of course. It is very far from the top, and the level of the clubs in the league is very close, so it is difficult to predict what will happen.”