Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has included his former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the three ‘greatest players’ of the current generation of footballers – but he fails to make room for several other world-class players.
Casemiro, 32, played alongside Ronaldo, 39, at Real Madrid and United before the five-time Ballon d’Or left the Red Devils for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr in November 2022.
The Brazilian has not only played alongside Ronaldo, but he has also shared the pitch with a number of iconic footballers during his time in Madrid.
The former Porto player was part of a strong midfield three alongside Luka Modric and Toni Kroos before joining United in August 2022.
On the international stage, he has played alongside players such as Neymar, Thiago Silva and Alisson.
But did any of his peers make his list of the three ‘greatest players ever’?
Speaking to a Brazilian magazine score He told about his choice in 2023.
Casemiro has shared the pitch with many top players (Credit: Getty)
“Glad to see me [Lionel] Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, the three greatest of my generation,” Casemiro said.
“Lionel Messi left his mark. You can’t deny that. He was always a rival with Barcelona and Argentina. There was no way to avoid it.
“But people who like football, they like Messi. It was a pleasure to play against him. He is a man who doesn’t need comment. You just have to admire him.”
“I saw Ronaldo [Nazario]I saw Zinedine Zidane. But there is no doubt that these three are the best of my time.
“I never played against Cristiano, thank God! He gave me many titles and victories.”
Although the United player has faced criticism for some poor performances in recent times, once his career is over, he will arguably be remembered as one of the best midfielders of his generation.
He has FA Cup and Carabao Cup medals to show for his efforts in a United shirt, but he reached his peak in Madrid.
During his nine-year tenure in the Spanish capital, he secured five Champions League titles, three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and three Club World Cups.
Additionally, he also has the Copa America crown, which he won with Brazil in 2019.