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Cristiano Ronaldo
doesn't need to dominate a World Cup to be acclaimed as one of the
finest players of all time, but if he does do exactly that it could make
all the difference in his quest to be recognised as the greatest.
Alfredo Di Stefano, George Best, Ryan Giggs, George Weah
and Eric Cantona are all united by the fact they never even went to a
World Cup, and it is not necessarily a coincidence none of them are
quite considered in the same bracket as Pele and Diego Maradona, the two men widely spoken of as the best players of all time.
Both of them are inextricably
linked with the World Cup, Pele winning the tournament three times and
Maradona dominating in 1986. Their club achievements are extensive, but
if you think of the pair the image that invariably comes to mind is of
them in the colours of their national teams, and on the biggest stage of
all.
This summer, Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have the chance to join them at that exalted level.
Some
might argue the Portuguese and Argentine – just the 407 La Liga goals
between them in 425 games – do not need to enjoy fine tournaments this
summer to do so. Yet a World Cup victory would ensure the debate over
the finest player in history would at least become a three- or four-way
conversation.
It almost seems
routine to say that Ronaldo is coming into the tournament on the back of
another season of astonishing personal performance. He scored 55 goals
in 45 games for club and country during 2013/14, and saved his best for
when it counted, finding the back of the net 17 times in the 15 games
from the end of February that defined Real Madrid's season and ended with their 10th European Cup being secured.
Yet
it could be argued he has never shone on the biggest stage of all. The
2006 World Cup, Ronaldo's first, is largely recalled - in England at least - for the furore that followed the dismissal of his then Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney in the quarter-final between the sides.
Rooney was sent-off for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho, but Ronaldo's reaction – rushing to plead for referee Horacio Marcelo
Elizondo to take action, before winking once he had done so – briefly
made him public enemy number one back in England. Ronaldo actually
enjoyed a fine tournament, missing out on the Young Player Award after
an online campaign in England ensured Germany's Lukas Podolski won the title.
This time, things
promise to be different. Ronaldo's dedication is quite something, his
3,000 sit-ups a day just one small part of a regime that has taken him
from promising youngster to genuine superstar.
"He is the most ambitious player I have met, with the hunger and desire to score in every game,”
Xabi Alonso said back in February. “He is impressive in terms of his athletic qualities and his technical abilities. He is a complete player; he has a great shot; he knows how to put his opponent off balance in one-on-one situations; he's great at finding space and he has great timing.”
Certainly those qualities were to the fore when Ronaldo dragged Portugal almost single-handedly to Brazil. His performance against Sweden in their play-off was sensational, his hat-trick in the second leg one of the finest displays in recent memory. Now he has to do the same in a tough group against Germany, Ghana and USA. Come through that and Portugal will likely face one of Belgium, Russia or South Korea.
But
there are some who believe Ronaldo is not even the finest player in
Portuguese history, among them Luis Figo. To his mind Eusebio is still
the king, and the outpouring of grief when the 'Lisbon Lion' died in
January demonstrated that he was a national icon. What Figo cannot
dispute is that if Portugal are to do well they need Ronaldo at his
best.
“In my opinion no one
is above Eusebio,” Figo told Laureus last month. “But probably Ronaldo
will beat some records and for sure he will be remembered. To be
remembered like Pelé or Maradona? Well, if you want to be remembered
like that in the World Cups, of course, you have to win, but in his
general image and the prestige he has, I don’t think he needs that.
“He
had a fantastic season this year too. I think his performance in the
last years has been amazing and for Portugal he is the No.1.”
Now we must see if Ronaldo seizes his chance to be considered one of the best in history.
He
made sure he would be on the back page of every newspaper after ripping
off his top after scoring the last goal in Madrid's Champions League
Final victory. Few would be surprised if he was striking the exact same
pose later this summer as he bids to join the greats.
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