Liverpool legend Luis Suarez didn’t hold back when snubbing Cristiano Ronaldo as he named the greatest strikers of all time.
As is the case in every major sport, football fans are always debating who the greatest players ever to play the game are, with several players names all in contention.
Having won five Ballon d’Or awards while scoring 926 goals for both club and country, Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the first names that would come to mind for all football fans picking the best to ever do it.
But not for Suarez, who decided not to pick the Manchester United and Real Madrid legend when naming the five best strikers ever.
The Uruguayan is considered by many as one of the best forwards in recent years and after playing alongside players like Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr, it’s safe to say he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to strikers.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that during an interview with Bleacher Report, the former Barcelona star was asked to name his top five greatest strikers and some of them may surprise you.
5: Romario
First on Suarez’s list was Brazilian legend Romario, who is viewed as one of the greatest goalscorers in history having scored 700 official goals during his impressive career.
“Number five is Romario,” Suarez said. “[The] finish time for him is amazing.”
Romario made just 65 appearances for Barcelona and yet found the back of the net 39 times, averaging a goal every 139 minutes.
Comparatively,, Suarez scored a goal every 122 minutes on average for Barcelona.
4: Ronaldo Nazario
“Then Ronaldo, the Brazilian Ronaldo. He’s really good,” Suarez said.
“He’s so quick, he’s so fast. He’s an intelligent guy, a really good player.”
It comes as no surprise that Suarez paid tribute to Ronaldo when picking the greatest strikers ever given the Brazilian’s legendary status within football.
The two-time Ballon d’Or winner scored 371 goals in 580 appearances for club and country and is viewed by many as one of the best players of all time.
3: Diego Forlan
Despite not making it at Manchester United, Forlan was almost unplayable later in his career when representing his national team alongside Suarez.
“For me, he’s one of the best,” confessed Suarez.
“I played with him, [he’s a] really good striker, he played for the team. He liked to shoot from wherever you want. He’s really good and he’s number three.”
Forlan and Suarez played 58 matches together, with both men playing an essential role to their nation’s victory in the 2011 Copa America.
2: Gabriel Batistuta
“Number two is Batistuta. [My] favourite player when I was a child,” Suarez explained.
“Really good number nine, he took free-kicks, I loved his character as well.”
At the peak of his powers in the nineties, Batistuta is a player perhaps overlooked by some.
The Argentine forward scored a breathtaking 204 goals in 331 appearances while representing Serie A side Fiorentina.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez currently play together at Inter Miami. (Image: Getty)
1: Lionel Messi
Who else did you expect to top the list than Messi?
The Barcelona legend is arguably the greatest player of all time and is a close friend of Suarez’s and therefore was always going to make it into his top five strikers list.
“Number one for me is Messi,” Suarez said confidently.
Having played together at both Barcelona and current club Inter Miami, Suarez and Messi have a massive 285 appearances together and have combined to score a total of 113 goals.