Where are they now? Ronaldo Nazario’s 5 favourite players to watch in 2019
Former Barcelona, Chelsea and PSG stars were among the five players Ronaldo Nazario most enjoyed watching in 2019, but where are all of those players today?
Ronaldo undoubtedly ranks among the best players of his generation and he’s kept a keen eye on the sport since hanging up his boots in 2011.
Back in 2019, he told AS his five favourite players to watch at the time and we’ve revisited his picks and have checked out where those players are today.
Lionel Messi
“Messi, of course, he is number one, it is a talent that we will take 20 or 30 years to see something similar,” Ronaldo said.
During the 2018-19 campaign, Messi was in a league of his own as he took Barcelona to within touching distance of yet another treble.
Despite just falling short in the Champions League semi-final that year, Messi still won the Ballon d’Or for his efforts and it’s no surprise that Ronaldo named him as his favourite player at the time.
At the age of 37, R9 had been retired for three years, but Messi is still going strong for Argentina and Inter Miami today.
Throughout 2024, Messi averaged a goal contribution every 61.6 minutes and he also won the Copa America and Supporters’ Shield in the process.
We can’t wait to see what the Argentine magician has in store for us in 2025.
Neymar
For most people, Neymar is the best talent that Brazil have produced since R9 and for good reason.
The former Barcelona and PSG star is Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 77 goals and during his peak he reached a level that only a select few have managed.
Since leaving Europe and joining Al-Hilal, injuries have plagued the 32-year-old as he’s only made seven appearances over the last 18 months.
R9 will know what it feels like to suffer from constant injury setbacks and he’ll no doubt be hoping that Neymar comes back stronger than ever in the coming months.
Eden Hazard
Prior to his move to Real Madrid, Hazard was absolutely box-office to watch on a weekly basis. It’s no wonder R9 enjoyed watching him.
The Belgian winger could wriggle away from any defender with ease and his vision was second to none during his spell at Stamford Bridge.
However, like Ronaldo, the Belgian ended up calling it quits on his career in his early thirties after multiple injury setbacks.
Since retiring, the 34-year-old has maintained a relatively low profile, although he has played in several charity matches where he shows off his silky skills.
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Mohamed Salah
“With Liverpool, I love Salah, he’s an incredible player with tremendous quality and I think he is very similar to Messi,” Ronaldo told El Partidazo in a separate interview.
“I recently read him say that I was his inspiration and I was very excited and happy to see that.”
Since joining Liverpool in 2017, Salah has maintained unbelievably high standards and he’s been in Ballon d’Or form throughout the 2024-25 campaign so far.
With the volume of goals and assists the Egyptian winger delivers on a consistent basis, it’s no surprise that R9 enjoys watching the Liverpool superstar.
READ: Comparing Salah’s Liverpool stats to Henry’s at Arsenal after the same number of games
Kylian Mbappe
During his formative years at Monaco, Mbappe drew comparisons to R9 with his raw pace and deadly eye for goal.
Impressively, the Frenchman is only 65 strikes away from matching Ronaldo’s entire goal catalogue, despite still being just 26 years old.
However, whether Mbappe will be able to match Ronaldo’s legacy at Real Madrid remains to be seen. After enduring a fairly slow start to life in Madrid, the French forward has been finding his feet in recent weeks.
As of writing, he’s scored 14 goals for the Spanish giants in 27 appearances. For context, Ronaldo scored 30 goals in his debut season in Madrid.