Brazil legend Zico: “If I was starting my career, Cristiano Ronaldo would be my reference” | OneFootball

Brazilian superstar Zico says Cristiano Ronaldo would be the ideal footballer to use as a reference for a young player starting their career, as he praised the Portugal captain for his success.

Zico was widely regarded as one of the best players in the world during his prime from the late 1970s into the mid-1980s, while he also maintains a legacy as one of the greatest free-kick takers of all time. The former Flamengo and Udinese playmaker was speaking on a Brazilian platform on Tuesday when the subject of Ronaldo was raised.

Asked by the presenter if Ronaldo shows a lack of humility when he claims to be the best in history, Zico was emphatic in answering. “No, he has to say it, people talk like he's just a goal scorer, he didn't receive the gift of some other players, but he became the best through his dedication. He's 40 years old running more than a lot of people.

“I hope he scores two thousand goals! He doesn't get injured, he’s never out, he doesn't stop training, he doesn't go out at night. if I were starting my career, he would be my reference.

“I regret that I still haven't met him in person. One day I hope to meet him to give him a hug and congratulate him on his story.”

Zico, who is famously of Portuguese background through his Tondela-born father and a subsequent admirer of Sporting Clube de Portugal, is Brazil’s 5th-highest scorer of all time with an impressive 48 goals - despite not being a striker. Intriguingly, he is also a distant relative of current Sporting and Portugal defender Eduardo Quaresma, with whom he shares the name Coimbra.