Samuel Eto’o once named the only striker he believed was better than him, describing them as ‘the best of them all.’ The Cameroonian had a legendary career full of goals, scoring a grand total of 420 for club and country, as well as winning numerous trophies including two Champions League titles.
Eto’o was also fortunate enough to have played in some incredible teams too, with his portfolio including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea, cementing his status as one of the greatest number nines of his generation. However, while he believes he is one of the very best to have played that role, the 42-year-old once bowed his head to someone whose dominance he couldn’t dispute.
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Eto’o Names Ronaldo Nazario As Only Striker Better Than Him
Speaking with AS, as per the Sporting News in 2020, Eto’o revealed that his choice for the greatest ever striker was none other than former Inter Milan and Brazil star, Ronaldo Nazario. The two-time Ballon d’Or winner is widely considered to be one of the greatest players to ever step onto a pitch, and despite considering himself to be a top-tier striker, Eto’o conceded that there was nothing like Ronaldo.
“The best of all was Ronaldo, ‘O Fenomeno’. I have such great respect and admiration for him. Then there are a lot of us who come up behind him, and I’d include myself among them.”
The striker was not wrong with his guess as to the sport’s ‘chief global star’
During the same discussion, Eto’o was also asked who he thought the current best player in the world was, which considering the time in which the interview took place, his answer of Lionel Messi is hardly a surprise. However, Eto’o did state that a 21-year-old Kylian Mbappe would go on to be the next big star in the sport and fill the shoes of the great Argentine.
“The best current players? I’d have to go with Lionel Messi, who’s more experienced, and Kylian Mbappe, who’s the youngster making the biggest impression,” the former Mallorca man claimed.
“I think he’s going to be the chief global star in the years to come.”
While Mbappe is yet to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or, he is looking more like the player everyone knows he can be at Real Madrid after initially being labelled as a problem for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in his first few months at the Bernabeu.