Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego has long been regarded as one of the bigger ones in the world of football, it is what makes opinions of him so divided. His current boss Jose Mourinho, recently stated that Ronaldo’s ego was a good thing, after the girlfriend of teammate Iker Casillas, who is also a television presenter, labelled the Portuguese forward as “egostistical”. In response, Mourinho stated,

“A forward has to be selfish. It’s a positive egotism and it’s a big characteristic in strikers that score lots of goals.”

Mourinho may have a point that successful strikers are often selfish players, but does Ronaldo’s ego have a wider impact on himself and his team? And would he be a better player without it?

Cristiano Ronaldo has never been short of self-belief, and such is his talent with a football you can understand why. In some respects his confidence makes him the player he is, he would not try his outrageous flicks and tricks or his spectacular long-range goals if he was unsure of himself. On the pitch confidence is no bad thing, but the level of his perceived arrogance has made him a reviled figure in some quarters. It has to be said that Ronaldo often saunters round the pitch looking very pleased with himself, and when a tackle is made on him he seems to think it is an insult, and that the referee should not stand for it.

When you look at the world’s best player Lionel Messi, his attitude is completely the opposite to that of Ronaldo. Off the pitch he is humble, and keeps himself out of newspaper headlines, making him a much more respected and well liked figure in the global game. On the pitch as well, Messi appears totally unselfish. He scores plenty of goals himself but if he sees a better option, he will not hesitate to pass the ball and create chances for others to score. You could not always say the same about Ronaldo.

May be I’m being unfair but to me Cristiano Ronaldo often seems to want glory for himself rather than for his team. He will attempt hugely ambitious shots from long distance or shoot himself rather than pass to a teammate in a better position. Whilst his inner drive and confidence makes him a fantastic player, the greater level of selfishness he possesses in my opinion makes Messi the better player, and to some degree makes Ronaldo a worse one.

Ronaldo’s style of play can also impact on his teammates. We did not see the best of Wayne Rooney at Manchester United for instance, until his Portuguese partner departed. Ronaldo was the dominant figure at Old Trafford, he demanded the ball be played to him and when he thought he had a decent chance he would never hesitate to take a shot. In Ronaldo’s absence, Rooney was able to express himself more and took on the burden of scoring goals admirably.

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world, no one would question that. His confidence and ego enable him to do the things he does on the pitch, but you just wonder if he was that little more unselfish, it would greatly benefit his team and make him a better all-round player. Ronaldo is still only 25 years old, and he has a lot of time to mature and if possible improve as a footballer, if he does so, he might just claim his Ballon d’Or back.

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