Playing alongside some of the world’s top players while at Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo has had an incredible career.
In a 2023 interview, Ronaldo named his best team from among his teammates, with Real Madrid stars like Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos leading the squad.
Ronaldo picked three Manchester United players, while the Portugal star only picked one Juventus player, Giorgio Chiellini.
Without a question, Cristiano Ronaldo is among the best football players to have ever played. He has shattered multiple records and cemented his place as one of the game’s “GOATs” after shining for teams like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
However, whose teammates are the 39-year-old’s best? In an interview with Goal Arabia via Planet Football just last year, the icon himself shared his thoughts on the subject. Ronaldo has a ton of amazing talent to choose from because of the number of amazing clubs he played for.
Here at GIVEMESPORT, we’ll walk you through the starting lineup that the Portuguese superstar selected and look back at their time as teammates. This may be the best team ever put together, even without the absence of some well-known players like Carlos Tevez, Mesut Ozil, and Ryan Giggs.
The Best XI of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Team
Place
The player
The team where they played alongside Ronaldo
GK
Casillas Iker
Real Madrid
RB
Ramos, Sergio
Real Madrid
CB
Ferdinand, Rio
United Manchester
CB
Chiellini, Giorgio
Juventus
LB
Marcelo
Real Madrid
CM
Kroos, Toni
Real Madrid
CM
Modric Luka
Real Madrid
CM
Scholes, Paul
United Manchester
RW
Bale, Gareth
Real Madrid
ST
Benzema Karim
Real Madrid
LW
Rooney, Wayne
United Manchester
Custodian: Iker Casillas
played at Real Madrid alongside Ronaldo.
Ronaldo’s decision to select for Casillas as goalkeeper, even with the major absences of Edwin van der Sar, Keylor Navas, and Gianluigi Buffon, is totally acceptable. Having spent six years alongside the Spanish goalkeeper at Real Madrid, Ronaldo and Casillas captured seven trophies together, cementing CR7’s decision to chose his old captain between the sticks.
Casillas is certainly considered as one of the finest goalkeepers in the history of the sport. Having won all that there is to win in the game, there is nothing the Spaniard didn’t encounter in his star-studded career. You could hardly ask for a safer pair of hands in goal.
Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo statistics when on pitch together
Matches
228
Teams
1 (Real Madrid)
Points-per-game
2.38
Wins
170
Draws
32
Losses
26
Participation in joint goals
0
Minutes
19,431
Sergio Ramos, right back
played at Real Madrid alongside Ronaldo.
Although Sergio Ramos began his career at right back and played in the middle of defense alongside Ronaldo, his versatility makes it a wise choice and frees up space for other talented players to play centrally. As we all know, the Spanish defender has a wild side and an obsessive mentality, and like Ronaldo, he will do whatever it takes to win, even if it means breaking the rules a little bit more. But that doesn’t change the fact that the now 38-year-old was arguably the best at the back for the past ten years, and he had a knack of coming up clutch when needed, as evidenced by his equalizing goal in the 2014 Champions League final.
Statistics of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos together on the field
Matches
339
Groups
1 (Real Madrid)
Points for each match
2.27
Gains
237
Draws
57
Losses
45
Participation in joint goals
15.
Minutes
28,441
Rio Ferdinand at the center back
played for Manchester United alongside Ronaldo.
Ferdinand was present when Ronaldo made his debut at Manchester United, making him the first of just four players on this list to have never played for Los Blancos. He described how the winger was treated harshly when he first arrived.
“I’m here to entertain people,” was his attitude when he arrived at the club. He cherished it. In training, he used to be snapped. He would be kicked out by people.
At that age, several children would have drowned. In contrast, Cristiano’s intelligence had a significant role in it.
Ferdinand was a key member of that amazing team, which saw Ronaldo lead Manchester United to numerous league victories and his first Champions League in 2008.
Statistics of Rio Ferdinand and Cristiano Ronaldo together on the field
Matches
221
Groups
1. (Man United)
Points for each match
2.15
Gains
145
Draws
41
Losses
35
Participation in joint goals
0
Minutes
17,233
Back center: Giorgio Chiellini
played for Juventus alongside Ronaldo.
Even though Giorgio Chiellini, the Italian stallion, has only left football, his absence is already felt. The strong defender, who had a sporting IQ to match his tenacious efforts, was one of the sport’s hardest guys in his peak.
The only player on this list who was with Ronaldo at Juventus when the striker’s career started to exhibit the first indications of deterioration is the former European Championship winner. It wasn’t meant to be, despite the fact that many people thought they would be able to win the Champions League, something teams like Chiellini and Buffon had painfully almost done.
Statistics of Giorgio Chiellini and Cristiano Ronaldo together on the field
Matches
55
Groups
1. (Juventus)
Points for each match
2.24
Gains
38
Draws
9.
Losses
8.
Participation in joint goals
2.
Minutes
4,042
Left Back: Marcelo and Ronaldo were teammates at Real Madrid.
There was a deep bond between Marcelo and CR7 that went beyond the field. Their collaboration at Real Madrid was unquestionably strong, demonstrating their excellent synergy both on and off the field. Marcelo’s inclusion in this XI is not shocking for that reason alone.
In his professional career, the Brazilian won an incredible 27 titles, making him one of the most successful players in the history of the game. One could argue that the 36-year-old who stood right behind the number 7 throughout Ronaldo’s best years had the best seat in the house to watch him play.
Statistics of Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo together on the field
The matches
332.
Teams
1. Real Madrid
The number of points for each game
2.35
Triumphs
243.
Brings in
Fifty
Decreases
39.
Cooperative objective participations
33.
Minutes of
26092
At Real Madrid, Toni Kroos played in the central midfield alongside Ronaldo.