Widely regarded as one of the two best players in the world within his generation (the other being Lionel Messi), Cristiano Ronaldo plays an attacking role, most often playing as either a striker or as a winger, and is known for his finishing, pace, dribbling, positioning, crossing and free kick ability. He is able to play on either wing as well through the center of the pitch, making him a very versatile attacker.
Tactically, Ronaldo plays a powerful attacking role, often drifting from the left wing into the centre when moving off the ball. Ronaldo is known to be mentally sharp, with good vision, predicting certain plays, and also possesses very good reactions, balance and agility. Although right footed, he is also able to control the ball and cross and finish well with his left foot.
Ronaldo is known for his pace, skill, control and dribbling ability, as well as his flair in beating players during one on one situations. He is able to finish well both inside the area and from distance.He is also an accurate set piece and penalty kick specialist. Uniquely, his height, strength, jumping ability and heading technique have given him an edge in winning aerial challenges for balls, with many of his goals often being headers.
Since his arrival at Manchester United, Ronaldo underwent a major body transformation, from a skinny youth to an athletically built adult. His well-built, muscular body type allows him to retain possession of the ball,while former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger has praised Ronaldo's physical attitributes. Some figures in the football world, such as former Manchester United strength and conditioning coach Mike Clegg and French legend Zinedine Zidane, have praised Ronaldo's incredible work ethic, dedication to improvement on the training field and have stated that he has been renowned for this. Ronaldo once stated his desire to carve his name in history alongside footballing legends such as Pelé and Diego Maradona, and that he would rather be remembered as a role model than one of world football's best players.
However, Ronaldo has at times been criticised for his diving when tackled, about which José Mourinho responded, "Cristiano is a player who does not have the culture of the swimming pool, he has no culture of simulation, he is a British-trained player, Ferguson trained. In some cases, the simulators are given more protection, and those who are honest are often the losers. I'm not a hypocrite if I say that they (defenders) hit Cristiano very hard, and that the yellow cards do not arrive or are slow in coming.
Earlier in his career, Ronaldo had been described as having an "arrogant image" on the field with Ronaldo stating that he had become a "victim", because of how he was portrayed in the media. He is often seen moaning, gesticulating and scowling while trying to inspire his team to victory, with Ronaldo insisting that his competitive nature should not be mistaken for arrogance. His managers, team-mates and various journalists have commented that this reputation has caused an unfair image of him. In 2014, Ronaldo told France Football that he had made a "mistake" when he said in 2011, "People are jealous of me as I am young handsome and rich", adding that he had matured since then and fans understood him better.
Ronaldo's direct football style, skill and goalscoring ability have been his most noticeable traits throughout his career, and his overall talent has at times led him to be considered a player who stands out and who can be a match changer.Ronaldo is said to play at his fullest capabilities only when he's under pressure and/or playing against a strong team.
Ronaldo's increasing production led the media to draw comparisons between him and FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, as the pair possesses similar attributes for their team and also for revolutionising statistics for goals scored,which Ronaldo has commented on saying: "Some people say I'm better, other people say it's him, but at the end of the day, they're going to decide who is the best player. He does the best things for Barcelona, I do the best things for Madrid. I think we push each other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high."However, some former great players have criticised the comparison, such as Brazilian legend Pelé and former Portuguese international Luis Figo, who cited that they have different playing styles.Though the comparison has been criticised, many figures in the football world have cited Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world's finest players.Ronaldo's former Real Madrid manager, José Mourinho, once stated: "If both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were born in different eras, they would have ruled the football scene and collected 10 FIFA Ballon d'Ors each."
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