Ronaldo and Ronaldinho both named the same legendary player as their toughest opponent

Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho were both in agreement when asked to name their toughest ever opponent.

The two Brazilian legends terrorised defenders throughout their careers in both club and international football.

Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or twice, enjoying spells with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan among other clubs.

Ronaldinho also won the Ballon d'Or once during his time with Barcelona, while he also played for the likes of PSG and AC Milan during his illustrious career.

Both men were part of Brazil's victorious World Cup-winning team of 2002 - while it was the second time Ronaldo was crowned world champion, having also been part of the triumphant 1994 squad.

During their remarkable playing careers, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho came up against some of the greatest defenders in history.

And both men were in agreement over their toughest opponent.

Speaking to FourFourTwo [via Tribuna] Ronaldinho said: "It has to be [Paolo] Maldini. Too many skills. It is impossible not to be amazed by how he made it all look effortless, especially when you get to play with him."

Ronaldo, meanwhile, told Italian outlet Il Messaggero: "Toughest defender I've faced in my career? Paolo Maldini would be the toughest ever.

"Among other Italian defenders, I would say [Fabio] Cannavaro, [Allesandro] Nesta and [Pietro] Vierchowod, all of which were very strong."

A legend for AC Milan, Maldini spent the entirety of his professional career at San Siro.

He made an incredible 902 appearances for the club, scoring 29 goals – putting him first on the all-time appearance list for the Rossoneri.

Both men named Paolo Maldini has their toughest opponent (Image: Getty)

Maldini won a remarkable seven Serie A titles and the Champions League five times with Milan, captaining the club for the majority of his career.

He also won 126 caps for Italy, scoring seven times.

Maldini eventually retired in 2009 but returned to Milan in 2018 as sporting director, later becoming football director before eventually being sacked from the role in 2023.

Nevertheless, he remains an undisputed club legend and viewed as one of the greatest defenders in the history of football.

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