Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Jordan are the best of the very best.
Both men are relentless in their pursuit of perfection, competitive in everything, ambitious, and always come out on top of whatever they set their eyes on.
Comparisons between CR7 and MJ grew recently following Netflix’s documentary of the NBA legend, ‘The Last Dance’.
It offered a closer look at Jordan, widely regarded as a once-in-a-lifetime talent, during his career and the drive that helped make him the greatest basketball player of all-time.
Now Lingard, who supports the Toronto Raptors, believes only Ronaldo can compare to the NBA icon, who won six championships with the Chicago Bulls.
When asked to choose a footballer whose achievements can be compared to Jordan, Lingard told Sky Sports: “I have to say Cristiano Ronaldo.”
“Everything he has achieved in his career. He has been at plenty of clubs and won many trophies. I believe he is a real icon of football, the Michael Jordan of football.”
Cristiano rose to prominence at Lingard’s club, Manchester United, between 2003 and 2009.
The Portuguese became an Old Trafford icon during his six-year spell, winning nine trophies. These included three Premier League titles and the Champions League.
He also won the first of his five Ballon d’Or awards with the Red Devils.
“When [Ronaldo] first came to Manchester United, I was 11 or 12,” continued Lingard.
“We did a skills DVD and it was him teaching us skills which was good. That was the first time I had seen him. He was young and skinny when he came [to the club].
“I have played against him a few times. Did he give me trouble? No, he wasn’t too bad, to be fair! There was one game in pre-season where he came on and you could see the skills and the qualities that he brought.”
