Ronaldo the “Fenomeno” has just announced his retirement from football. The critical question for all those that like to look at football through its historic lenses is who was the best center forward ever? Here is my take:
- N° 1 :Ronaldo “Il Fenomeno”. Unique ability to take the ball from midfield and then dribble the entire stadium to score improbable goals. When injuries took over, Ronaldo had the intelligence to change his style and placement on the field and continue scoring numerous goals. Ronaldo scored 434 goals (including his 6 goals for the Brazilian Olympic team in 1996) in 634 games corresponding to scoring 0.68 goals per match.
- N°2 : Gerd Müler “Der Bomber”. Incredible talent for being there in the right spot at the right time in the 11 meter zone. Müller scored 701 goals in 763 matches. That’s 0.92 goals per match! With the Mannschaft, Der Bomber was actually above 1 with 68 goals in 62 games!!
- N°3 : Marco Van Basten. Elegance coupled with physical skills way above average. 298 goals in 425 matches or 0.70 goals per match. Several times best scorer of the Italian First Division with more than 20 goals per season which says everything.
Here is a selection of some incredible goals by Ronaldo at his best while he was playing for Barça. Relax and enjoy the artist!
Maracanazos have a sweet spot for n° 9s.