Who is the best-ever footballer? This question is asked over and over again, and, quite rightly, will continue to be asked as long as our beautiful game is played. The answer is, of course, completely subjective. We all have our favourites. When I was a teenager I was captivated by the 1970 Brazilians, and I would argue that they were the best team I have ever seen. Their dismantling of Italy in the 1970 final was truly brilliant, and the star of the show was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to us all as Pele. For so many years, my answer to the best-ever question was unwavering. Pele. Cruyff and Maradona became contenders, but Pele was still my man.
The last ten years have, however, given us two new kids on the block, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Both have been on our tv screens seemingly continuously, and we can judge them for their clubs and their countries. But, imagine you are a captain, picking teams in the school playground, and you have first pick. Who do you go for? For me if would be Ronaldo, every time. They are both superb on the ball, but Ronaldo is a brilliant header of the ball, and so can even help in defending set-pieces. And Ronaldo is a great motivator, and gets the best from all around him.
On Friday, Ronaldo single-handedly changed the result of the game against Spain with his skill and determination. We can all see that. But even after the final whistle, he can be seen geeing-up his teammates, telling them to continue to believe. Without him, Portugal are an average international side. With him, anything is possible. This is not the first time he has transformed his country’s fortunes in such a dramatic way. His hat-trick to beat Ibrahimovic’s Sweden, in Sweden, in the play-offs to qualify for the 2014 world cup finals was pure genius, and I remember that above anything that happened in the finals.
And so, after Friday night, I have a different answer to the big question. I’m sorry Pele, it’s not been an easy decision, and it’s not you, it’s me, but after all these years, I have found someone new.