“Ronaldo is the greatest finisher, but Salah is more complete” - Cristiano Ronaldo’s ex-Real Madrid manager snubs him while ranking iconic forwards

Former Real Madrid boss Rafa Benitez recently picked Mohamed Salah over Cristiano Ronaldo while ranking various iconic superstars. Benitez believes that while Ronaldo is the better finisher, Salah is the more complete player.

Mohamed Salah has established himself as a modern-day great down the right wing over the past eight years at Liverpool. The 33-year-old has recorded 323 goals and 162 assists in 657 appearances across all competitions during his club career and is currently the Reds' third-highest goalscorer of all time (246). In addition to his goals, Salah has further developed his game in recent years by adding creativity, twice winning the Premier League Playmaker of the Season award (2022, 2025).

On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest goalscorer of all time and is widely regarded as one of the best players of all time. He has scored 796 goals and recorded 257 assists in 1057 appearances across competitions in his club career, and won five Ballons d'Or.

During a segment on the YouTube channel Shoot for Love, Benitez was asked to pick between Salah and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, to which he said (via Liverpool.com):

“You talk about attackers, Salah has been consistent for so many years."

Benitez was then asked to pick between Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite having previously managed the latter at Real Madrid during the 2015-16 campaign, he sided with the Egyptian King:

“Ronaldo is the greatest maybe finisher, but Salah is more complete. At the end I know where this will finish [Ronaldo vs Messi], so I will go here [with Salah].”

Despite snubbing Cristiano Ronaldo, Benitez opted to select Lionel Messi over Mohamed Salah in the final round, showcasing his preference in the process.

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"Happiest for me in terms of football" - When Cristiano Ronaldo made honest Real Madrid admission before re-signing with Al-Nassr

Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo once admitted his time at Real Madrid was the happiest he has been in his professional career in terms of football. His comments arrived during an interview with Spanish journalist Eduardo Aguirre in January 2025, months before he signed a two-year extension with Al-Nassr.

During the interview, Ronaldo was asked about the possibility of a return to Real Madrid. The former responded on his YouTube channel (via GOAL):

"Maybe after ending my career, something can happen...My period at Real Madrid is the happiest for me in terms of football"

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid from Manchester United in the summer of 2009 for a then-world record transfer fee of £80 million. He flourished at the club, garnering 450 goals and 131 assists in 438 appearances across all competitions. He also helped Los Blancos win 15 trophies before opting to join Juventus in 2018.