Manchester United and Brazil star Casemiro has named the three players he believes are the “greatest” of their generation.
The 31-year-old midfielder, who has mastered the holding role that has grown to be so crucial for both domestic and international teams, may be regarded as a modern-day great in his own right.
Casemiro, a five-time Champions League champion from his spectacular time at Real Madrid, assisted in ending United’s six-year trophy drought last season when they won the Carabao Cup.
The Samba star has a large following, but he also admits to being a fan. He has three players in particular who he believes are head and shoulders above the others.
Asked by Placar magazine to run through his top three list, Casemiro said: “Lionel Messi left his mark. You can’t deny it. He was always a rival, with Barcelona and with Argentina, there was no way to escape it. But those who like football, like Messi. It was a pleasure playing against him. He is a guy who does not need comment. You just have to admire him.”
Casemiro added: “I had the pleasure of seeing Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, who are the three greatest of my generation. I saw [the Brazilian] Ronaldo, I saw Zinedine Zidane but, without a doubt, these three are the best of my time. I never played against Cristiano, thank God! He gave me many titles and victories.”
Ronaldo and Casemiro worked together for many trophy-filled years at Santiago Bernabeu. After a brief reunion at Old Trafford, the Portuguese superstar sprinted out of the stadium as his contract expired in November 2022.
Ronaldo has joined Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Messi has joined Inter Miami in the MLS, Neymar is still under contract with Ligue 1 powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain, and Casemiro is counting down the minutes till the 2023–24 season in Manchester.