Now is the time to discuss Ronaldo’s place in history

Six days into the 2018 World Cup and after 17 matches played, no individual has delivered the majestic performance we witnessed from Cristiano Ronaldo last Friday at the Fisht Stadium in Socchi.

With the weight of the European champions on his shoulders and a watching world clamouring for a signature performance from the reigning five-time Fifa World Player of the Year, the 33-year-old tormented the game’s premier goalkeeper David De Gea en route to rescuing a point against one of the favourites Spain in arguably the match of the World Cup so far.

His 89th minute free-kick, struck with so much viciousness and precision, will become part of the highlight’s reel of the greatest set pieces in tournament history.

Tonight at the Luzhniki Stadium in the capital, Morocco will be the latest country to try to take on the gargantuan challenge of keeping the Portuguese talisman quiet.

It won’t be easy for Herve Renard’s team, which meekly gave away their group opener against Iran through a last minute Aziz Bouhaddouz own goal.

To get any sort of result in today’s afternoon kick-off, Morocco will have to do what Spain so palpably failed – keeping Ronaldo quiet.
There are a million and one ways in which Ronaldo will hurt any football team, and his career has reached a time where his place in the pantheon of greats must be discussed.

Much accomplished
The discussion is not whether he belongs there; it is where to place him among the greatest footballers that ever lived.

Regardless of whether he lifts the damn thing or not in Moscow, he has accomplished so much to merit the company of Pele, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Alfredo Di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi his eternal rival.Scoring in four World Cup competitions is a feat to underline his durability at the top and it is not beyond the Real Madrid forward to dream of another goal in Qatar in four year’s time given his dedication and commitment to maintaining peak condition.

He has 84 goals in 151 appearances, a staggering return for a player whose career started in midfield, while his club careers at Real Madrid and Manchester United – two teams he lead to European titles, World Club Cups, and multiple domestic championships and Cups – are stuff of legends.

Messi has been mentioned in the bracket of Pele and Maradona without winning the World Cup, but very rarely is Ronaldo’s name whispered in the circles of football’s royalty.
A thorough examination of Ronaldo’s achievements and accomplishments through the last 15 years suggests that his name must now be elevated to that conversation whenever there is mention of the greatest footballers that ever lived. Morocco in the meantime will do extremely well to stop the World Cup topscorer from increasing his tally.

*The writer is the Sports Editor at Monitor Publications Ltd