“My last opponent in a football match was much better than Messi and Ronaldo,” Oliver Kahn shared.
German football icon Oliver Kahn has called his great rival Ronaldo Nazario (Brazil) the most complete player in football history, even better than the two legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The famous former goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has despised Messi and Ronaldo when he affirmed that Ronaldo Nazario is the greatest football player of all time, wrote the Mirror (UK).
The GOAT debate has been going on for years, with many believing that Lionel Messi’s 2022 World Cup triumph with Argentina has cemented his status as the greatest footballer to ever grace the planet. However, legendary Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper Kahn has a different opinion on who is the best.
The goalkeeper has faced some dangerous strikers in his career, but Ronaldo Nazario stands out from the rest. Oliver Kahn said: “For me, Ronaldo (Brazil) is much better than Messi and Cristiano (Ronaldo). I still consider him the most complete player of all time. The Brazilian is the best player I have ever seen.”
Kahn asserted that Ronaldo (Brazil) is much better than Messi and Ronaldo. PHOTO: GETTY
Kahn had a tough time against the so-called “original Ronaldo”. Ronaldo scored twice against Kahn in the 2002 World Cup final to help Brazil beat Germany 2-0. Ronaldo was the top scorer at the 2002 World Cup with 8 goals.
While Lionel Messi has now won the World Cup and Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2016 European Championship (Euro), the 55-year-old German legend Kahn still insists that the player dubbed “alien” Ronaldo (Brazil) will beat Messi and Ronaldo (Portugal) to win the title of greatest player of all time.
Ronaldo Nazario made 481 professional appearances, scoring 309 goals and providing 75 assists. The “Alien” won the Ballon d’Or twice, two La Liga titles and two Copa Americas, as well as winning the World Cup.
Ronaldo scored twice against Kahn in the 2002 World Cup final, which Brazil beat Germany 2-0. PHOTO: GETTY
However, Ronaldo Nazario has never won the Champions League title in his career, while Lionel Messi has won four of these titles, and Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player in history to win five titles.
While Kahn calls Ronaldo Nazario the GOAT, he doesn’t believe the Brazilian is the “most frustrating” striker he has ever faced. In fact, Kahn notes that the most frustrating striker for him is AC Milan’s Filippo Inzaghi.
The Italian striker, who won the World Cup and two Champions Leagues with AC Milan, made life difficult for Kahn. Legendary goalkeeper Kahn said: “Ronaldo is the best, but Inzaghi annoys me more. He is not a super champion, but he always scores against me. Always. It’s annoying.”
The competition for the GOAT title between Messi and Ronaldo is never-ending. PHOTO: GETTY
Kahn retired in 2008, while Inzaghi hung up his boots at the end of 2012, and Ronaldo officially retired in 2011 after his career was ended by injury. Messi and Ronaldo are still playing today and continue to add to their legacies, although the debate over who is the greatest player of all time will likely divide opinion for the rest of time.
