‘I Played with Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Maldini – One Player was Better’

Lauded as one of the greatest players to have ever graced the game, Brazil legend Kaka leaves behind a career packed full of achievements and silverware that most in the world would be envious of.

With a remarkable 44 individual accolades to his name, among them the coveted Balon d’Or, won in 2007, as well as 10 major club honours, the former AC Milan and Real Madrid superstar is correctly heralded as a dynamic superstar of the games’ previous generation.

Moreover, Kaka leaves behind a long trail of club and country colleagues that can be held in just as high regard in terms of star power and status. A player who has shared a pitch with the likes of Paolo Maldini – who he once described as “the perfect example to a player” – Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Andrea Pirlo and David Beckham, to name but a few, would be spoiled for choice when selecting the greatest player he has ever played alongside.

And while many would assume his Portuguese namesake to be the greatest player for Kaka to play alongside, it was fellow Brazilian Ronaldo who was stated as Kaka’s best teammate of his career when posed the question by Goal:

“Ronaldo (the Brazilian) was the best player I ever played with. The things I saw that guy do on the field were amazing. Ronaldo is the best I played with”.

Kaka and Ronaldo

The Brazilian duo were teammates at AC Milan and for Brazil

Nicknamed ‘El Fenomeno’, Ronaldo Nazario is widely regarded as one of the most impressive and heralded footballers to ever grace the game. Making his international debut aged just 17 years old, after a wildly impressive rookie year at Cruzeiro in his homeland, the forward was quickly earmarked for his pace, power, flair and remarkable goal-scoring record, having notched a fantastic return of 44 goals in 47 games amidst leading his side to their first Copa do Brasil in 1993.

It was in 2002, however, that his star would go nuclear in his assault against football’s very top level, securing the World Cup for his nation in a remarkable injury comeback story, scoring in every match he played in barring the quarter-final to secure the national crown, the golden boot and the hearts of his nation.

While Kaka only played 25 minutes in that edition of the World Cup, he brushed shoulders with one of the greatest individual World Cup performers of all time. It spelt the start of a mainstay spine in the Brazil side, with many referring to their partnership, in conjunction with Ronaldinho and Adriano, as “The Magic Quartet”.

The two would soon share a team at club level too, as R9 signed on for AC Milan in January 2007, amidst the twilight of his career. And although his persistent injury problems continued to trouble him on his return to Italy, he still made an impact with 7 goals in his first 11 for the club, creating a much-hyped attacking trio with Kaka and Alex Pato, nicknamed ‘Ka-Pa-Ro’.

When looking back at the Brazilian talisman’s prime, it’s fair to see why Kaka held him in such high regard in their time together as teammates.

Kaka’s cohorts

The Brazilian played alongside some legendary teammates.

When speaking of Kaka, it would be remiss not to mention some of the iconic calibre of players that the Brazilian has been lucky enough to call a teammate. Not many have had the pleasure of being able to say they have played alongside all three of the legendary players carrying a variation of the ‘Ronaldo’ moniker, but Kaka is one of the very few who have.

Kaka vs Ronaldo vs Cristiano Ronaldo

Player
Appearances
Appearances
Assists

Kaka
746
237
149

Ronaldo
616
414
75

Cristiano Ronaldo
1226
893
238

Siding with Cristiano Ronaldo for four years at Real Madrid, the pair of icons joined together for big-money moves from AC Milan and Manchester United, respectively, in the summer of 2009, and were part of the ‘Los Blanco’ side that lifted the Copa del Ray in 2011, and the La Liga title in 2012.

And while Kaka may not have chosen ‘CR7′ as his best former teammate, the playmaker lauded the Portuguese forwards’ achievements and mindset:

“Ronaldo was the best I played with, but what Cristiano did – and is doing – is just unreal. The most important thing for me about Cristiano is the way he can motivate himself after all the achievements he has got.”