Messi but no Ronaldo: The eight greatest players in history

Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazario has settled the ongoing debate about the world's greatest players to ever grace the beautiful game with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the centre of it. 

And in a surprising twist, the iconic striker has included himself in his elite eight-man list - while shockingly snubbing his namesake Ronaldo.

The Brazilian Ronaldo, who won two Ballon d'Or awards and the World Cup with Brazil, named the likes of Diego Maradona, Messi, Johan Cruyff and Pele as the finest footballers to have ever played. 

But he controversially omitted Real Madrid and Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo from his star-studded selection.

Cristiano Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the all-time greats, having won a staggering five Champions League titles and the same number of Ballon d'Or awards. 

He is also the player with the most goals in history, making Ronaldo's decision to leave him out all the more shocking.

The former Inter Milan and Barcelona striker, who suffered from a series of devastating injuries throughout his career, scored an incredible 352 goals in 518 matches across all competitions. 

He also played a pivotal role in Brazil's 2002 World Cup triumph, netting eight times.

But despite his own illustrious achievements, Ronaldo insisted that the debate over the greatest players of all time should be left to the fans.